XOXO, Ms A
by BlueLilyLilyBlue
Summary: They have everything. Japan's A-listers have gathered at the prestigious Alice Academy, where the rich, the famous, and the powerful have bet it all. But, to possess everything, one must be ready to gamble on the game of life and have the courage to pay the price. Choices will be made, sacrifices will be done, promises will be broken and in the end, only one can reign supreme.
1. Chapter 1: Party Hard

_"_ _A hot night for a wild party. It seems that Alice Academy's A-listers have_

 _outdone themselves this time. Who knew that Imai Hotaru, the Academy's Ice Princess and_

 _Resident Blackmailer has what it takes to throw a party. Well, well, my love, you deserve an_

 _applause."_

 _xoxo_

 _Ms. A_

The sound of a phone being thrown on the ground and the loud cry of a helpless male echoed through the air filled with smoke, ecstasy and music. Blazing green eyes gazed at the broken phone on the ground. Her grip on the hand rest of the velvet sofa tightened. The boy beside her had his mouth hanging open, his eyes wide. The girl noticed the boy's expression and slapped his head.

"Ouch! Sumire, why the hell did you do that?" The dirty blonde asked. The girl, Sumire, looked at him. Assessing his profile, she wondered what made her like him. The boy was barely a sensible person to converse with, he never combs his hair, dresses sloppily, possesses an irritating smile that never leaves his face and does outlandish antics earning him the title of Alice Academy's Goofball.

"That was brand new!" The blonde cried. Sumire just rolled her eyes.

"Well, I don't care. Besides, you can buy another one." She said, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"Yeah, I could if it's already out in the market!" The boy whined.

"Oh, shut up, Koko! Your continuous whining is giving me a headache. Add that gossiping bitch, Ms. A's new post and my head is ready to explode." She massaged her temples and the boy, Koko, laughed heartily.

"Is that why you're so cranky?"

"This party is exclusive! I mean, _exclusive_. It's only for the most popular people at school! And _now_ , look at this place!" Sumire gripped the hand rest tighter until her knuckles turned white. She gave the lounge a fleeting glance before her face contorted into a mask of pure disgust and annoyance as people who are clearly _not_ invited infested the place.

"I don't understand what you're so mad about. Shouldn't it be Hotaru that's furious? Ms. A was implying that Hotaru is too uptight to throw a party. For the record, I agree with the girl but, _damn_! Hotaru really do know how to surprise people!" A cheerful female voice said. Sumire and Koko looked behind them. Beaming brightly at them is Alice Academy's Ms. Congeniality, Harada Misaki. Her Carmine-Pink hair fell perfectly on her shoulders; her red dress fitted her and hugged every curve, revealing her femininity. She was friendly to everyone, helped those who were in need and was a great friend. It was no wonder that she was crowned Alice Academy's Ms. Congeniality.

"Misaki! Hey, since when did you arrive?" Koko asked as he fawned over Misaki.

"Just this afternoon. I wanted to sleep but, I decided to go since, I have a break and besides, I don't want to miss a good party!" The Pink-haired girl replied as she pulled Sumire to her feet and twirled the Green-eyed girl in place.

"Well, someone's having fun." Appearing in front of them is Alice Academy's Mr. Congeniality, Andou Tsubasa. Anyone can guess that he is Misaki's counterpart. Not only are they crowned with the same title, they are also last year's winner for the Alice Academy's Cutest Couple contest. They had been dating since Junior High and this will be their last year together. Rumor has it that Tsubasa planned to propose to Misaki at the eve of their Graduation party.

Tsubasa walked towards his girlfriend and kissed her cheek. He bumped fists with Koko and ruffled Sumire's hair, earning him a chilling glare from the Fashion Queen.

"I thought couldn't go." Misaki kissed Tsubasa back.

"Well, I can't miss Hotaru's party. I got to see what's in store and can I say that this will go down in history as the best party Alice Academy ever had!" Tsubasa wound his arm around Misaki's waist as he surveyed the entire area.

People milled around the lounge, drinks in their hands while laughing with friends. The music blared loudly from the pool area where more students from their academy where mingling with other students. The bass pulsated on their feet, the thrum of the sound pounding in their souls, driving them with the need to move to the groove. The lights created a spectrum of color and transported them into a kaleidoscopic world. Loud cheers could be heard as the crowd situated at the kitchen chanted the names of two guys battling for an intense drinking game.

Couples secluded themselves in the dark corners of the lounge to whisper against each other's ears and succumb to their basic urges. Girls praised one another for their fashion of the night and their make-up. Boys eyed girls with interest and a feral smile on their lips. Everyone was having a blast as the night sparked with more energy and surrendered to the allure of the revelry.

"That's a lot of praise for someone who's barely left her room and abuses people with embarrassing videos and pictures for her own sick and disgusting amusement." Sumire said, venomously.

"Dear Sumire, I can see that you are nasty, as usual." Tsubasa teased his lowerclassman. Sumire scoffed.

"Hey, don't insult her! I'm the only one allowed to bully her." Koko placed an arm around Sumire and kissed her head. The seaweed-haired girl blushed.

"Well, isn't this a wonderful development! Sumire blushes!" Tsubasa said as he whipped his arms out and accidentally hit one of the wandering butlers serving cocktail drinks resulting for the man to stumble down, shattering the glasses and pouring liquid on the marble floor. The sound of a girl's shriek ceased the activity at the lounge as her white dress got splashed with the colorful liquid of the cocktails.

"Man! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to h-" Tsubasa never got to finish his apology as he was hit by high-speed, rubber balls on his entire being.

 _BakaBakaBakaBakaBakaBaka_

The loud sound shocked the people inside the lounge. All gazed at the figure standing in the middle of the marble stairs. Standing before them was Imai Hotaru, Alice Academy's Ice Princess and Resident Blackmailer. Her sharp gaze landed on the idiot with a star-shaped tattoo under his left eye. She stepped down the stairs; the sound of her five-inch heels clicking on the floor pierced through the stillness. The sound of the music at the pool area seemed far away. The laughter and chatter outside drifted with the night breeze.

The lounge suddenly turned cold. Nobody moved. Everybody's breath came out short. Her eyes moved from left and right. Anyone that met her eyes ended up petrified. No one dared to defy her. It would lead to total annihilation. Her regal composure intimidated everyone. With her raven hair, amethyst eyes, her whole aura screamed of sophistication. Her black pencil cut skirt ripples like water as she walked. Her loose v-neck white long-sleeved polo danced with the night breeze. She stopped three steps away from the four people sitting on the velvet sofa at the lounge.

"Nice to see you, too, Hotaru!" Tsubasa grinned at her like a kid. He looked like as if he wasn't hit by the Baka Gun at all.

"Shut your mouth, idiot. You broke my cocktail glasses. You better pay me before I make you eat bullets from my Baka Gun." Her cold voice brought chills to everyone's spine.

"Oh, don't be so hostile, Hotaru! It was an accident!" Koko exclaimed. The raven-haired girl ignored the dirty blonde and gracefully helped clean the mess. The people at the lounge gawked at the scene as they never saw her do anything nearly as charitable as she is doing as of the moment.

"Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer." She said to no one in particular but, people knew better than provoke the girl and thus, they returned to their businesses although, people kept glancing at their direction in order to watch their growing circle.

"As if they want your picture." Sumire scoffed. Upon hearing her words, the crowd once more turned their attention at the group in the middle of the lounge. Their eyes shifted from Sumire to Hotaru although their eyes lingered longer on the Ice Queen. Their heart leaped as the raven-haired girl slowly stood, her aura intimidating, eyes penetrating and her eyebrow gracefully arched.

"I thought I specifically said no pets allowed. Have you gone deaf, Yome?" She inquired but, her chilling gaze never left Sumire's face.

"Lighten up, the two of you! Seriously, Hotaru, you're a terrible hostess. Sumire, you're such a nag. Are you her mother? This is a party!" Misaki scolds both of them while holding a half-empty glass filled with Cosmopolitan.

"I wonder how Yome puts up with you." Hotaru said, totally ignoring Misaki's preaching as she watched the Green-eyed girl go red with anger.

"There they go again." A boy with golden hair and blue eyes chuckled as he descended the stairs. Everybody turned to look at him. All of the girls at the lounge sigh as soon as their eyes laid on him. Even the boys blushed slightly. His sweet smile is infectious and uplifts the tense mood. In his navy blue blazer, white v-neck shirt, ripped jeans and lace-up boots, he projects simplicity and sensuality at the same time. Yup, it's definitely Alice Academy's Golden Boy, Nogi Ruka.

"Hey, man! Glad you made it!" Koko clasped Ruka's hand and they did their usual "bro hug".

"Hey, you! I haven't seen you since last week." Misaki hugged Ruka and he kissed her cheek.

"It was really busy last week. Narumi booked me in five consecutive photo shoots. Not to mention, several commercial shootings and guest appearances in morning shows."

"You've got it tough. It's really a good idea Tsubasa and I declined Mr. Narumi's offer. He's making you work like crazy." Misaki said.

"So, anyone likes to stop them?" Ruka asks as he sat beside Koko.

"Nah, just let them be. It's more fun that way." Koko grins.

The dirty blonde and the dark-haired boy bumped fists with one another, their lips curled into a wicked smirk.

"You two are idiots! Do you want Hotaru to commit bloody murder?" Misaki exploded, staring at her boyfriend and the goofy blonde with an incredulous expression.

"Misaki, relax! We're just kidding! Besides, Ruka's here. We can sacrifice him!" Tsubasa exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around the Pink-haired beauty. The girl simply stared at him, clearly unamused.

"Not to burst your bubble or anything but, I refuse to be in Hotaru's crosshair…or, in _both_ of their crosshairs." Ruka stated as he flicked his gaze at the two bickering ladies who's tearing at each other's throats.

"I'm surprised that Ruka's tolerating you. If I were him, I would have left you." The Green-eyed girl hissed, gaining the attention of their other friends.

"I'm lucky then that Ruka's not you. If that were to happen, it would be _me_ who would leave you." Hotaru replied nonchalantly, her arms wrapped one another as she stared uninterestedly at Sumire.

"Ouch. Hotaru's ruthless, as always but, honest nonetheless. She might be my idol right now." Tsubasa said to his friends with a low voice but, it seemed that Sumire's ears were sharp and he found himself hiding behind Koko to avoid the wrath of the fashion queen.

"Sumire, stop it! You're justifying what Hotaru said, not refuting her! Hey! Hey! I said- _Ouch_! Watch the ears, will you?! I just had another piercing!" Koko wailed as he tried to wrest his girlfriend.

"No! Let go of me! I will rip the remaining hair on his head! I will make you eat your words, _baldy_!" Sumire screamed as she scratched Koko's face and the blonde staggered on his feet as he clutched on his wounded nose. Seeing as her boyfriend was bent over, she pushed him away and went for the sheepishly smiling Tsubasa who was backing away from her each time she took a menacing step forward.

"You are beyond deceased, you shadow baldy." She growled. Tsubasa obviously gulped.

"My sweet, dear Sumire, I was kidding! Hotaru's not my idol, no! Heck, why would I idolize someone with a permanent scowl on her face?" Tsubasa chanced a glanced at Hotaru and saw the girl looking at him with an amused glint in her amethyst eyes. He inwardly prayed to any God to save his poor soul as he didn't like the spark in her eyes, "Yeah, I mean, look at her now! She's doing that- _that_ twinkling eye thingy!" He pointed at the raven-haired beauty and eyes followed his fingers. The girl in question merely stared back, "So, you see? How could I look up to someone who might be the devil reincarnated? I would like to keep my life, thank you very much. I have future plans, one that includes idolizing _you_ , dear, adorable Sumire, the girl who's…uhh…helpful in…uhh…shelling out beauty tips and…uhh…" Tsubasa eyed Misaki for help but, the girl merely watched on with a big grin on her face, "Uhh…doing charity work for the…fashionably inept! Yes, that! You are a true idol! _A girl who's one of a kind_!" Tsubasa finished enthusiastically but, his eyes were screaming for an S.O.S.

A low, velvety chuckle rang inside the room, the sound rich and sinful like a decadent chocolate. Emerging from the dark, a man with glowing, Crimson eyes swaggered down the floor. The lounge then, erupted with noise. Girls squealed in delight and boys groaned in annoyance. His boots kissed the marble floor. His crisp polo ripples as he walks, black tie hanging loosely on his neck. Both of his hands sway freely at his side. His skinny jeans reveal yet conceal his well-toned legs. He rakes his raven hair, licks his lips, his whole aura screams sexy. He is the one and only heir of Hugh Corporations, Alice Academy's Sex God, Hyuuga Natsume.

"You could win an award for the most pathetic plea I've ever heard." Natsume said, huskily, making most of the girls swoon at the seductive quality of his voice.

"Nice of you to join us, Natsume." Ruka said as he stood and crossed the floor to greet his best friend.

"I heard Tsubasa's annoying voice and thought that he might be making full use of his stupidity. I decided on a whim to watch him make a total fool of himself and as always, he delivers his part quite well."

"Aha! I knew it! You _do_ care for me! Natsume, man! Thank _god_ you arrived! I would've been eaten alive if you didn't come! I've never loved you as much as I did this time!" Tsubasa cried with relief, drapping an arm over the Crimson-eyed hottie's shoulders. The young heir shrugged off the older man's arm.

"Care for you? Don't be delusional." He stated.

"He's always delusional. I mean, how can he not when he surely made a spectacle of himself." The fashion queen claimed, idly.

"Since _when_ did he never make a spectacle of himself?" The amethyst-eyed girl questioned. Sumire turned towards Hotaru who caught her gaze with own. She cocked an elegant eyebrow at the other girl, questioning her.

"I believe that we have reached an agreement. I propose a truce."

Sumire's statement was met with surprised gasps. Their friends looked at one another.

"Uh, not to ruin the moment or anything but, did we hear you right?" Koko queried, voicing everybody's thoughts on the matter.

"No. I said you had an orgy with farm animals on your aunt's bed. Of course I said I want a truce _so_ that we can both bash your brains with a jackhammer and feed it to the vultures to feast on! Maybe by doing that, we'll be able to save people from dying from hearing the ridiculous and utter nonsense that comes from your mouth!" Sumire said, sarcastically.

"I was wrong about you, Shouda. You have a wonderfully delicious and devious mind. I guess you deserve a _little_ respect for that." Hotaru exclaimed, her face stone frozen but her eyes were glimmering with unconcealed glee.

Mouths fell open as they heard the Ice Princess praise someone. Never had they heard the aloof and stoic raven-haired heiress commend anyone, even her friends, especially Shouda Sumire. She and Hotaru had never gotten along and had never agreed in anything openly. Today, it seems, marks the day in which the two most powerful heiresses in Japan have a truce for an agreement regarding Andou Tsubasa's pathetic attempts to spare his life and commit murder on Kokoro Yome.

"Idiots, drop your annoying expressions. It's putting me off." She glared at their audience who immediately averted her gazes and pretended to mind their own businesses.

"Is she sick? Did she bump her head? Is her stomach acting up? Do you need a doctor?" Misaki asked, her mouth spouting out words in a speed of light and her eyes wide with incredulity.

"Oh my god, I know! She's an alien! That's not Hotaru! She must have been spirited away by the aliens living amongst us! You know that they can pretend to be human and they have technology far better than ours! They might have frozen time and exchanged the real Hotaru with a fake and we won't even miss it!" Koko babbled, hands moving in an animated fashion to show his conviction.

"Psh! Get real, Koko. Aliens aren't real! Besides, if they are real, they would think twice before kidnapping Hotaru! They might be dead even before they could get the job done or it would be them who're kidnapped!" Tsubasa rebutted Koko's claim and the spiky-haired blonde paused for a moment to _think_ before understanding dawned on his face.

"You're right! Hotaru's so evil that even sp-" Koko didn't get to finish his sentence as he heard the air whistle as high-speed balls zoomed towards him. It was too late for the blonde to avoid the onslaught of the wretched things as he was assaulted in the face, torso and dare he say it, on his crown jewels with a particularly rock-hard ball. He folded on the floor, in pain and heard whispers of condolences for his brutally abused man part.

"You got your wish, Shouda. It may not be the specific example you described earlier but, its equivalent to the one you so desire. Better yet, this one is even more appropriate as the pain is unconceivable. I'm expecting my payment for my involvement in this." Hotaru calmly stated amidst Koko's groans, their audiences' whispers, and Tsubasa's barely concealed laughter.

"Why the hell did you do that, Imai?! What if he got injured?!" Sumire whirled at her, Green eyes blazing with shock and anger.

"I seriously doubt it and I'm certain that _that_ isn't your main concern." The raven-haired beauty stared at her knowingly.

"Wha-What are-are you say-saying?!" Sumire spluttered in embarrassment.

"Nothing, really. I'm just stating the obvious. It's up to you whether you acknowledge it." She answered, turning around to retreat back to the comfort of her room. She had enough stupidity in one night.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me, Imai or else I'll-" The Green-eyed girl stopped her tirade when Hotaru stopped mid-stride and turned to look at her ever so slowly. The action almost caused her to step back but, she held her ground despite the ominous air that surrounds the Ice Princess.

"Or else you'll what? Better make it worth my time or else, I'll _double_ my payback to you." Hotaru gave her one last lingering look before she resumed her walk back to her room.

"Running away, are we?" Natsume's voice stopped her from taking another step. Hotaru turned to look at him.

"What is wrong with you?" She asked, annoyance evident in her voice.

"Nothing's wrong, _Hotaru_." Natsume drawled her name purposely and he watched as her eyed turned dark.

"How about you just go and take someone's ass?" Hotaru hissed at him.

"I just did. Though, I must say, the rooms here are too depressing. Did Death take a stroll here?" Natsume smirked at her. Tsubasa laughed.

"My condolences to the girl you screwed, then." Hotaru spun to continue walking up the stairs, Ruka at her heels. The Golden Boy smiled apologetically at the ruby-eyed male before rushing off to catch up with his girlfriend. Natsume blinked. Tsubasa laughed harder.

"Man! That girl is a genius at making comebacks! She totally crushed you." Tsubasa said. Natsume slapped him on the head.

"Ouch! Will you stop slapping me on my head?" The dark-haired man said, glaring at Natsume.

"Maybe, if you stop being annoying."

"So, who's the girl, Natsume? Do we know her?" Misaki cut in, sensing another senseless bickering coming up.

"I don't know. Didn't ask her name. She was particularly boring. Made me do all the work." Natsume exclaimed, lazily as he plopped down the sofa stationed at the middle of the lounge. He raked a hand in his hair and he his eyes swept around the room to look for another source of entertainment.

The party returned back to full swing after the exit of the Ice Princess, together with the Golden Boy. He wondered if the students knew that they were together but, he decided that they didn't as they didn't even gave as much as a second glance to see that Ruka held Hotaru's hand as they went upstairs to probably make out as if their lives depended on it. The image that conjured up in his mind disturbed him and he stood up to chase away the horrifying thought.

"You going somewhere?" Tsubasa asked.

"Everywhere." Natsume said before striding out, leaving swooning girls at his wake.

"Wish I can say that and still look mysterious." The star-tattooed man sighed.

"Yeah, it's never happening." Misaki teased.

"Agreed. Now, quit being stupid and let's party. We have classes tomorrow and I want to forget, for at least a night about grades and nagging professors." Sumire said, dragging a groaning Koko from the floor by his feet and to the dance floor. Misaki looked at Tsubasa, who grinned at her and swept her into his arms as he twirled them into the throng of dancing bodies.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi, everybody! This story is cross-posted on AO3. Just look for the title, XOXO, Ms. A, to read. Enjoy~**


	2. Chapter 2: Smells Like Trouble

**A/N: Sogetsu School is not mine. It's a real Ikebana school as well as a known style in Japan. If the brand name, Beaubelle, and the school name, Hayanari Miyako, exists, it's purely coincidental.**

* * *

 _"Suit up, guys and girls. Alice Academy is having a new student."_

 _xoxo_

 _Ms. A_

Ms. A's new post on her blog blared up on Hotaru's phone. She was tempted not to look at it as for the last two weeks, all that was posted in the blog was about the party but, seeing her companion's face changed her mind. She read it in seconds and chose to ignore the news. After a minute, her phone blared up again. Shouda Sumire sent her a _long_ rant. Not wanting to read what the seaweed brain sent her, she deleted the message and finished her morning tea beside her boyfriend.

"Another long message from Sumire, I presume?" Ruka asked. Hotaru stared at him.

"She sent one to me as well." He chuckled.

"I don't have the energy to read her long rant regarding her displeasure with new students." She said while sipping her tea.

"Well, she can be very…sensitive. You know how she is. People tend to befriend her… _us_ because we're different." He took a scone from his plate and gave it to Hotaru. She looked at him.

"Why are you giving me your scone?"

"You're just drinking tea." Ruka observed, motioning towards her half empty cup.

"Eat your scone." Hotaru pushed her plate to Ruka. The blonde stared at her for a while before sighing.

"Are we going to fight because of a scone?"

"We won't _if_ you eat it." Hotaru took another sip while looking at him. Ruka relented and took back the scone.

A knock on the door gained the couple's attention and they watched as the door swung open, revealing Hotaru's head butler, Ishizaki Ibara. He strode purposely towards them and bowed stiffly.

"What it is?" Hotaru asked, settling her cup against the saucer.

"A package has been sent to you, Lady Hotaru." The butler announced as he presented a Brown box and a small, White envelope. The raven-haired girl reached for the package and placed it on the breakfast table.

"Is that all?"

"You mother, Lady Hisaya, wishes for you to visit the main house this weekend. She made it a point for me to remind you to bring home at least a souvenir from her favorite Japanese sweet shop." He bowed lower, humbling himself more in order not to incite her cold personality due to his message.

"Have Gaku order five boxes of Daifuku. Let him sign it under my name. I'll pick it up after school."

"Yes, Lady Hotaru."

"You can leave." The girl ordered with a wave of her hand and the butler bowed once more before exiting the room.

Once they were alone, Hotaru grabbed the box from the table and dropped it on her lap. She flipped open the card pasted on the lower right corner of the box and a smirk bloomed on her face. She opened the box and saw several discs, multi-colored packets, and a pile of papers which she assumed to be reports and a list of recommendations for her company's newest project.

"Judging by your wicked smirk, I take it its good news?" Ruka's voice perked her up and her smirk grew bolder at his expectant expression.

"More than good news. The new operating system that my company has been developing for a while now has reached the final stage. We just need to test it." She answered, passing the card to the blonde. Hotaru replaced the lid before setting the box aside.

"Have you thought of where you want to test it?" The boy asked as he read the contents of the card.

"Why do you think I went to Alice Academy?" She inquired, her hands clasped together on her lap and her back straight.

"Because I'm there?" He teased.

Hotaru rolled her eyes at Ruka and the boy laughed at her heartily. He might not be her reason for attending the Academy but, he was one of the reasons for which she stayed. A reason that shouldn't be known, maybe except for the person himself, because God knows how much gossip and annoyance she had to endure.

"I know, I know. It's because the Academy allowed you to use _us_ as a guinea pig for your products."

"You benefit from it." She stated simply.

"I'm grateful for that, by the way." Ruka responded with a slight smile.

"Which is why you don't get to complain. Now, finish your scone. I want to talk to Principal Shiki about the testing schedule this morning." Hotaru finished as she drained her cup.

"You're not going to look at what's inside the other envelope?"

The girl stared him and the boy pointed at the White packet, with his butter knife, lying at the table.

"Why should I? I'm certain that it's just a letter aiming to scare me."

"What?" Ruka sat up straight and reached for the letter.

Hotaru watched him idly as he tore at the envelope and flipped open the sheet of paper. For a minute, there was silence in the room as the Golden Boy read the missive. Sound returned as Ruka breathed out heavily. Hotaru could see him shaking either from nerves or anger, she couldn't tell.

"You should read it." Ruka said, eyes hard as ice, his hand holding out the letter. Hotaru could see the cut up letters from newspapers and magazines which only proved her suspicion right.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, discarding the letter to hold Hotaru's hands.

"Because it's not important."

"It _is_ important. What if something bad happens to you? What do you think I would feel?" He gripped her hand tighter as he looked deeply into her unique eyes.

"Nothing is going to happen." The girl assured, bestowing him one of her rare smiles.

Ruka looked at her face, searching for any hint of fright or any uncharacteristic misgivings but, found none. He gave out a resigned smile and leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose. He heard her sharp breath and he took advantage of her unguarded state as he swooped down to claim her lips. He nibbled on her lower lip, biting into the soft flesh, making the normally reserved girl moan in pleasure. He slipped his tongue, swirling the tender appendage with hers, tasting every corner of her sweet cavern. He urged her closer, his arms slipping to grip on her waist and curl on her neck as her hands clutched tightly on his shoulders.

He dipped his lips down her jaw, planting butterfly kisses on her flesh causing a sinful groan to escape from her lips. Her hands flew on his hair and he loved feeling her touch as she messed his golden locks.

"I know how much independent you are and it's one of the reasons as to why I'm in love with you but, it's also a reason for me to worry. I want you to rely on me, even just a little bit. I don't want to wake up one day and find out something happened to you. It will kill me." Ruka declared, softly and tenderly on her ear and Hotaru brought her hand to turn his glazed eyes to her.

"If it will make you feel better, I'll come to you." She vowed, making the blonde smile enough to melt her heart. She took a bold move and planted a light kiss on his lips before schooling herself back to her usual reserved self. Ruka blinked at the speed of her change but, recovered himself by chuckling at his girlfriend's attitude.

"Okay, I'll settle for that. I'll do the same to you, too."

"Of course, you would. Who would clean the mess that you make?" She said, standing in order to ready for school.

" _I_ don't make a mess. I just happen to get dragged by the guys." He countered, scooping their bags from the chaise on the other side of the room and opened the door for Hotaru.

"That's why I told you not to join them." She stated, giving him an unamused stare before walking away.

"They're my friends. They're _your_ friends. They've all been nice to you even if you're seldom nice to them." Ruka closed the door and hurried to walk beside the girl.

"I'm never nice to them." She exclaimed, looking at the boy beside her.

The blonde laughed at her before twining his fingers with hers. He felt her tighten her hold on his hand.

"Yeah, you're only nice to me." He teased.

"Don't get cheeky." She retorted with a small smile playing in her lips.

They walked out of the house, the servants bidding them a safe travel and a wonderful day at school. Hotaru merely inclined her head, a sign that she recognized their well-wishes while Ruka expressed his sentiments more openly, leaving almost everyone in the household with fluttering hearts and flaming cheeks. The couple climbed inside the waiting car, the chauffer holding the door open. Once they were safely ensconced, they pulled out to school.

Hotaru's residence was only a mere fifteen minute ride from the Academy and the short amount of time was spent in silence as the two took advantage of the solitude they have as in school, they are surrounded by people who might be friend or foe. The silent, cozy atmosphere fizzled as the chauffer stopped the car and announced that they have arrived. Ruka gathered their belongings as the chauffer, once more, held the car door open for them in order to climb out. The Golden Boy held out a hand to help Hotaru out of the car which the girl pointedly glared at. Ruka merely chuckled at her and simply waited for her. As soon as they were out, the chauffer bowed deeply in respect and drove away from the Academy.

The couple walked side-by-side as the students parted a path for them to walk. Their schoolmates greeted them. Well, greeted Ruka as everyone is afraid of the Ice Princess. Eyes were trained on the couple as they went towards the Grecian-inspired Pavilion, some following in their footsteps in order to catch scent of any information that they can get so that they can brag to their other friends that they are close with Japan's richest elites.

Upon reaching the Pavilion, the couple and their unwanted entourage heard the loud ravings of Sumire as the rest of their friends and some nosy gossipers watched on. Unable to stand the girl's shrill voice, Hotaru donned her new and improved Baka Gun and aimed at the ranting girl. Her furious chatter was quickly silenced as the girl fell on her back with a well-placed hit on her head and all eyes turned to look at Hotaru with a satisfied glint in her eyes.

"You guys, you're finally here! _Thank God_! I can't stand listening to her for one more minute!" Koko wailed as he ran towards the arriving couple.

 _BakaBakaBakaBakaBaka_

The raven-haired girl lowered her arm the same time Koko fell to the grass, his leg twitching. Ignoring Koko's groans of pain and complains, Hotaru strode towards the group occupying the biggest and coolest table in the Pavilion.

"Took you long enough. What have you been doing? Ah, no need to answer that. Surely, you and Golden Boy over there," The raven-haired boy nodded his head at Ruka, who was busy helping Koko recover from Hotaru's attack, "Were busy sucking face." The lazy drawl of Natsume reached her ears to which the girl pointedly ignored. She gracefully sat at the empty space beside Misaki, who was tending to an incapacitated Sumire at the moment and placed her bag on the seat next to hers.

"Oh, how sweet. You're reserving a seat for Ruka." The ruby-eyed male mocked from across her.

"Is there a particular reason why you're gracing us with your presence this morning, Hyuuga?" She finally said, flicking a cold stare at the ruby-eyed man. She didn't particularly need to ask him for she already knew what made him come to school.

"Not much. There's nothing to do at home. So, here I am." He shrugged casually.

"What do you want me to do? Congratulate you?"

"Dudes, it's early in the morning and you guys are already sniping at each other. Let's play nice since, there's a new student. We should all be in our best behavior." Tsubasa tut-tutted as he flipped up his collar, raked his fingers on his hair, flashed a smile, placed his chin in-between his pointed finger and thumb and bestowed them with a wink. The girls giggled. Hotaru resisted the urge not to gag at his foolish attempt to look like a dashing debonair.

"Speaking of the new student, do you know anything?" Misaki asked Hotaru, seeing as Natsume had something particularly nasty to say.

The specific question perked Sumire from her stupor and straightened up. She glared at Hotaru.

"Before I do anything to you, I have the same concern. Better say it now before I strangle you." The Green-eyed girl hissed as she narrowed her eyes, resulting her to look like a cat.

"I appreciate the threat but, it's not enough to scare me. I clearly remember that Harada asked me first. Do you wish to pay for her _and_ yours as compensation to me as I labored to get the information of the new kid?" The dark-haired girl smirked wickedly.

"Fine, I'll pay you _double_ if that would make you spit out whatever dirt you dug up." Sumire answered, her teeth gritted in annoyance.

"Done. I'll expect my payment _tonight_." Her eyes were basically shimmering with glee which only made the Green-eyed girl to grow more irritated.

"Get on with it." She hissed.

"She's the fifty-seventh generation heiress of the famous Kyoto Kabuki School, _Hayanari Miyako_ , the fourth generation successor of the _Sogetsu_ School, one of the most popular Ikebana styles that's predominant at this time and the daughter of the Prime Minister of Japan, Koizumi Iemon. Her name is-"

"Koizumi Luna." A sickly, sweet voice echoed at the Pavilion. Heads turned at the new comer's direction. Long, creamy legs appeared from behind the tree in front of the couple bench. Shoulder length, strawberry-blonde hair bathed with the morning light. Cold, sapphire eyes studied each face in the Pavilion, gleaming with wit and mischief.

Luna strode purposely towards the popular bunch, her hips swaying hypnotically, making every male's throat constrict. Natsume straightened up, his ruby-eyes raking Luna's entire figure with a predatory glint and his lips curled into an indulgent smirk.

"It's nice to finally meet you. Well, _all_ of you." She purred, stopping inches away from their table as her sapphire eyes drank in their faces before stopping at Natsume.

"I can't say the same to you." Sumire retorted and everybody held their breaths as the Fashion Queen's notorious hatred for new students made an appearance.

Luna flicked her attention to the Green-eyed girl who was blatantly sneering and appraising her. She smiled cattily.

"You must be Shouda Sumire, the daughter of the President of the House of Councilors of the National Diet, Shouda Chuchi and the second generation heiress of _Beaubelle_ , Japan's number one fashion line. I must say that both my mother _and_ I adore your mother's design. I hope you maintain the quality of designs when you're out in the field. I would hate for my favorite brand to go stale." Luna exclaimed, her eyes scrutinizing the Green-eyed girl from head to toe before staring back at her and bestowing her a heavenly smile.

Sumire sucked in her breath as the girl insinuated that she had no eye for fashion and that she would ruin her mother's hard-earned reputation. Whispers erupted all around her and she didn't like any comments directed towards her. At that moment, Sumire had never been so humiliated in her entire life and at the hands of a new student too! She opened her lips to teach the spiteful bitch but, Hotaru beat her to it.

"I can assure you that she'll do a much better job than her mother. After all, she designed this year's Spring collection. As a _loyal customer_ , surely you know that her designs were the most talked about styles this quarter. Everywhere you look, there's at least one or two persons wearing her design." The cool beauty stated from her seat, her soft but strong voice carried throughout the entire Pavilion which made all of the students gape at her gallant rescue and defense for the stunned Sumire.

"You _do_ know a lot, Imai Hotaru." Luna expressed, her smile never leaving her face as she stared at the cold, amethyst eyes of the Ice Princess.

"Isn't it normal to know information about people? Especially in the world that we live in." She stated in a "matter-of-fact" way.

"Yes, that's true. I wonder what else you know." She voiced out, her eyes flashing hungrily.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

At that moment, a slow, drawled out clap boomed out of the Pavilion and startled everyone from the intense scene happening before them. Everybody eyed the ruby-eyed male sitting at the head of the table, as if he was a king, with a smirk playing on his lips. He looked at Luna with interest in his eyes and everyone gathered at the Pavilion had one thought which Alice Academy's Sex God chose to proclaim.

"You're interesting."

Hotaru watched as the girl's smile turned seductive, a sweet, sinful charm that made every male weak on the knees but, made her feel cautious. Underneath that smile, she sensed a dangerous threat, an ominous feeling that's a vivid representation of her own desires only that Luna seemed more malicious than she expected. It would seem that in this moment, she would share Sumire's sentiments. She didn't like the expression painting her pretty face. Oh, she didn't like it one bit. The girl smells of trouble.


	3. Chapter 3: And So It Begins

**A/N: Hiii~ I just want you guys to know that I'll be updating every TTHS since I have that much time in my hands (currently jobless and struggling to look for one). Anyway, I hope you enjoy because I have so much in store for all of you! Don't forget to rate and review! I would love to know what you guys think!**

 **Disclaimer: All of the company names/product names written in this chapter is all made up. If there happens to be similarities in real life, note that it is merely coincidental.**

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"I've never been so grateful that its Calculus next! With the seating arrangement Jinno implements, there's no way that Natsume and _that_ skanky bitch can flirt with one another!" Sumire proclaimed, glaring at the two seated figures by the window.

The rest of the group, excluding Misaki and Tsubasa as they are seniors, glanced at the two who was clearly flirting with one another. Natsume has Luna by his lap, his one hand resting on the girl's waist and the other feeling up her skin from underneath her blouse as he kissed her senseless. The group turned their eyes away from the disturbing sight of their friend snogging a girl he just met for three days, not that they would put it past him as they knew all of his liaisons and flings with a long line of women.

"I don't know. He might just skip class with her. You know him, he gets what he wants _whenever_ he wants." Ruka, Natsume's best friend argued as he leaned back on the wall at the back of the classroom.

"How can he _want_ that?" The Green-eyed girl hissed, glaring at the scandalous couple.

"Who wouldn't? The girl has legs that goes for miles, nice body, and best of all, big breasts." Koko supplied as he wiggled his hands on his chest and playfully waggled his brows at his girlfriend.

"Can you stop being vulgar for one minute, you ass?" Sumire reprimanded, slapping her boyfriend on the head.

"But, it's true! Most of the guys in school have been drooling over her but, wouldn't come near her because Natsume has staked a claim on her." He reasoned, rubbing his abused head.

"You know what would happen if they did try to come onto her." Ruka stated, glancing at the couple with knowing eyes.

"An abuse of power and authority, if we're being honest." Hotaru, who had been listening, commented for the first time.

"Technically, he has something to flaunt. He's the richest guy in school!" Koko threw his hands in the air to emphasize his point.

"And, apparently, not the brightest person." The raven-haired girl drawled, uninterestedly.

"I'm finding it easier to agree with you these days, Imai." Sumire expressed with a smirk.

"That's because I'm always right. Anyone with a brain would agree with me, not that it applied to you previously." Hotaru proclaimed with a smirk of her own tugging on her lips.

Before Sumire can even retort back to Hotaru, Professor Jinno arrived with the usual sour expression pasted on his face. One look from him had the previously unruly classroom turn silent as people clambered to their assigned seats. The group of friends followed suit, albeit with dignity and grace of the elites. Once he deemed them proper, the strict professor enter the room and was brought to an abrupt stop when he saw the outrageous display of indecency from Natsume and Luna.

"Mr. Hyuuga! Ms. Koizumi! Such disgraceful acts are strictly prohibited! You both are future leaders of the society! Show the proper decorum to your fellow classmates and schoolmates!" The professor roared to which the couple pointedly ignored and continued with their illicit activities.

"Mr. Hyuuga! Ms. Koizumi! I demand that you stop this instant or I will have you attend detention for a month with me in-charge!" He bellowed as he stalked towards the couple.

The entire class visibly cringed when they felt the patience of the middle-aged professor snap and yanked the couple apart.

"What the fuck, bastard? Didn't you see that we're busy?" Natsume growled, clearly annoyed at being interrupted.

" _That is it_! You've earned you and Ms. Koizumi two months detention with me for your profane language and blatant disrespect!" He seethed at Natsume whose eyes glimmered with mischief.

"Blatant disrespect? May I remind you, we are _your_ future superiors. You're the one disrespecting us by your untimely interruption. Do you want to get fired?" The boy drawled as the class gasped at his statement.

"How dare you threaten me? You may be the heir to _Majestin Financial Group_ outside school premises but, _in_ here, you are nothing more than but a student, a _student_ who answers and respects professors!" The man reprimanded.

"If that's the case, we'll just leave. I'd rather go outside than listen to your boring-as-fuck lessons. Let's go, Luna." Natsume declared, purposely bumping into the older man as he swept out of the room to where the gathered crowd parted for him. He stood by the door as he waited for Luna to join him. When the girl arrived at his side, he made a show by pulling Luna towards him and gave her a searing kiss. The couple broke apart, Luna giggling in exhilaration and Natsume smirking superiorly at the obviously shaking man before storming away.

After the couple's exit, whispers erupted as the students that flocked in Class 2A gossiped about the latest, juiciest happening involving the Alice Academy's Sex God and Professor Jinno. Not standing for his humiliation, the man ordered the crowd away with a threat of detention for the _rest of the term_. His words were met with horrified gasps as students scrambled back to their respective rooms. The entire class was silent as they waited for their professor to calm down in order to start the lecture as well as to absorb what just happened.

They visibly jumped when Professor Jinno barked at them to open their books. The remaining time was spent with intense silence as the older man kept a constant scowl on his face. Even the slightest of noise and mistakes brought about severe tongue-lashing coupled with two weeks' worth of detention. When the bell tower sounded, the entire class inwardly celebrated that the torturous class has ended. Relief only surfaced on their faces when the professor swept out of the room, clearly heading to the Principal's office.

"That was intense! I can't believe Natsume! He's getting worse! It's like he has a death wish or something! And don't get me started with the bitch, Koizumi! She was just there standing! I saw her face and she was clearly enjoying it! I bet she gets off on that kind of stuff! That girl is a crazy crackpot! Just what the hell is Natsume thinking?!" Sumire ranted as she strode towards Hotaru's seat.

"He's not thinking at all." The Ice Princess simply stated while arranging her notes.

"Do you think that Jinno will ask for his expulsion?" Ruka pondered, worry visible on his face as he thought about the gravity of his best friend's actions today.

"Knowing him, he will do it. He'll even string up the other professors to back him up." Hotaru responded, turning her gaze at him.

"By other professors, you mean _all_ of the professors. He's insulted every single one of them and let's not forget, he even vandalized the Principal's office with women's lingerie." Sumire reminded, her arms crossed on her chest as she looked apprehensively at Ruka.

"You have to admit that what he did with the Principal's office was gutsy!" Koko exclaimed, a goofy smile etched on his face as he stretched his arms over his head.

"Gutsy? What about stupid? And reckless? And shameless?" The Green-eyed girl enunciated pointedly while struggling to keep her hands from hitting her boyfriend's head lest she wants to cause him hemorrhage for the countless times she hits him.

"Don't waste your breath explaining things to him, Shouda. It's useless to fill his head with sense as even his existence doesn't make sense." Hotaru remarked as she gathered her things. Ruka grabbed her bag and took off her supplies from her hands. Her lips twitched in amusement.

"Hmm, I guess." The girl agreed and pointedly ignored Koko's cries of protests as her eyes observed her newly manicured nails.

"We're leaving, then." Ruka announced while chuckling lightly.

"Wait, you're coming with her? What about History class?" Sumire asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, her assistants weren't able to come. I offered to take their place." At his statement, Sumire raised her eyebrows.

"I know what I'm in for." The Green-eyed girl continued to stare at him.

"I studied, okay? I won't be offering help if I didn't know stuff." He defended.

"Well, good luck." The girl exclaimed just as the History Professor, Noda, a lanky man with Grey-Brown hair and permanent smiling eyes, came inside.

The group quickly bid farewell with each other before they separated and the couple left the room to proceed to the computer laboratory in the West building. It's the third day of Hotaru's on-site product test and survey. The Principal immediately agreed to her request as she was the main supplier of their computers, machinery, and raw materials for Alice Academy's Robotics Association. So far, they have gotten no mishaps and the comments were all satisfactory. They arrived at the laboratory in record time and similar to the previous days, Hotaru presented her product, complete with reports and charts. Just like the past participants, they all marveled at her thorough presentation and like before, she has yet again bagged a thunderous applause.

"For the next part of the program, you may use the computers to your discretion. Please remember to fill out the survey questionnaires on your work station. Once you have finished, please drop them at the box located at the exit. Thank you." The Ice Princess expressed and the participants began using their respective computer unit.

For the next two hours, the couple assisted several students who had minor concerns. They easily mollified their troubles to which their schoolmates were grateful. When the bell chimed, signifying the end of class for the day, the students filed out of the laboratory and dropped their questionnaires by the exit. Ruka helped Hotaru clean up the facility and they gathered their things before picking up the questionnaire box.

"I hope we get to read more positive feedback. Just three more days and you'll be able to formally launch your company's newest operating system." Ruka started, holding the box to his chest.

"Don't you mean, _you_ will read the feedbacks?" Hotaru reminded as she unlocked her phone. Her brow rose as she saw the fourteen missed calls in her phone log.

"You won't help me? I know you hate reading them because of the terrible handwriting but, you should at least tr-" His tirade was silenced when Hotaru raised a finger and placed her phone by her ear.

Ruka gently pulled his girlfriend to the side as a couple of security personnel were patrolling the hallway. He smiled at them as a way to show his appreciation and the staff tipped their heads in respect. He turned his attention back to his companion, just in time to hear the other line pick up.

" _Good afternoon, Chief. This is Tobita speaking._ " A feminine, timid, and shy voice greeted.

"What is it? You called for several times. This better be good." Hotaru intoned.

" _Um…Well, the th-thing is…_ " Ruka heard the voice stutter, clearly nervous and scared. He looked at his companion as her jaw locked and her eyes hardened.

"Spit it out." She growled. The blonde heard a small whimper coming from the other line.

" _…We…Um…_ " The voice died down and he could hear people arguing, papers rustling, and doors slamming shut. Judging by the sounds coming from the other line, this doesn't bode well.

"Do not try my patience, Tobita. What is it?" She voiced out, deadly calm.

The Golden Boy listened as silence reigned on the other line. He saw as Hotaru went from irritated to furious as no answer has been given to her. She was about to end the call, her patience running out, when a static sound rang out, much like that of radio frequency before a voice, clearly disguised due to the small, shrill, grating pitch, spoke.

" _…own…Shut down…d…own Cognibyte…or…we…will shut you down…_ "

Ruka's blood ran cold at the threat. His hands unconsciously curled and a low growl rumbled from deep within his chest. He made a move to grab Hotaru's phone but she stopped him with a glare.

"What else?" She inquired.

He heard movement from the other line and soft whispers before a deep intake of breath resounded, a clear sign that whoever was at the other line is yet again delivering bad or even worse news.

" _Someone managed to get past our firewall and the 128-bit encryption. Whoever it was, have stolen all of our data for the project!_ " A voice, gruff and manly, exclaimed, puffing out breaths as he finished. She ended the call abruptly without as much as a good-bye and began to walk away.

The blonde hurried after his girlfriend while calling for her. The girl didn't as much as glance back at him. Instead, she walked faster until they were out of the building and to the bright courtyard where students were milling around. People stopped and stared at them and soon enough whispers began to erupt, several theories taking shape which was further supplied by malicious tongues. They reached the Academy's posh gateway, where Hotaru's chauffer was waiting. One look at his mistress made the servant immediately open the car door for her. The girl elegantly but, swiftly went in followed by Ruka, who smiled at the servant and told him the destination.

The chauffer simply nodded and closed the door. Once they were inside, Ruka engulfed the girl in an embrace to which she struggled to break free.

"You're shaking." He stated simply. As soon as his words left his lips, he felt the girl go rigid.

"Relax. I'm with you." He murmured, leaning in to kiss her temple.

He felt her ease into him, allowing the warmth of his body comfort her. She remained silent which made him anxious for he can't foresee her future actions yet at the same time, relieved that she had relied on him. For the remainder of the travel, he kept a tight hold of the girl, who at some point during the ride fell asleep. He could understand her exhaustion for she barely slept at home because of her studies coupled with her work for her company's project and now, she has another matter to think of. The world they live in is cruel. They can't be laidback or somebody will stab them in the back and he began to wonder yet again, if the girl in his arms experienced such a tragic situation that made her unable to share her warmth with just anybody.

Noticing that the car has stopped, he gently woke up the girl who straightened herself up and stared at him.

"I know." He smiled at her, knowing that she would never thank him out loud.

The car door opened and he went out of the car, adjusting his clothes to look presentable. He felt the girl's presence beside him and he looked at her as she took out her phone to dial some numbers.

"Meet me in my office in five minutes." She stated after a minute, her tone clipped. She placed her phone back to her bag and began to walk.

The two security personnel stationed by the entranced bowed at her as she passed by and the automatic, glass doors slid open, releasing a blast of cool air. The employees who were crowding the lobby halted their business when they spotted Hotaru as she headed towards the Presidential elevator. They bowed low and only straightened themselves once the girl waved her hand. Soft murmurs drifted in the air as the employees gossiped about the sudden arrival of the young Imai heiress. His presence went noticed as the females present swooned over him. He merely ignored their presence as he hurried over to walk beside Hotaru.

As they reached the elevator, Ruka punched the button which opened the metal doors. Being the gentleman that he was, he let his girlfriend in first before following suit. The doors closed and soft jazz music filled the area which made him look at his companion.

"You actually followed my advice?" He asked, baffled.

"It was suggested by some of my employees during the quarterly assessment." She answered, her gaze staring at her hazy reflection and her voice betraying nothing.

He simply smiled at her, believing her excuse to save herself from being badgered. The elevator sounded as they reached their desired floor and the doors opened to reveal a large room with minimalistic interior décor. Hotaru purposely strode towards her desk and pushed the button of the intercom.

"Are they outside?" She inquired.

" _Yes, Chairman. The Three Gods are waiting for you._ " The voice of Hotaru's secretary, Otonashi Yura, said.

"Send them in."

" _As you wish, Chairman._ " The conversation ended with a soft click.

Ruka sat on the plush sofa situated in the middle of the room as the door to Hotaru's office revealing the prim and proper figure of Yura, followed by a trio of male employees all dressed in casual clothes which is a stark difference with the suit and tie attire of the female secretary.

"Tobita Yu, Mochiage Mochu, and Akeshi Kitsuneme, The Three Gods, has arrived." Yura announced bowing to Hotaru. The three males followed suit.

"Enough formalities. Tell me what happened." The Ice Princess ordered while waving away her secretary who obeyed.

"Before you discuss anything, it might be proper for all of you to be seated." Ruka interrupted, gaining the attention of the three males.

"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Nogi Ruka. Pleased to meet you. I'm thankful of you three for your assistance of Hotaru." He expressed, bestowing them his grateful smile to which Hotaru rolled her eyes at and made the two of the males blush and one gasp in recognition.

"Yo-You're…No…Nogi Ru-Ruka? A-as i-i-in, _No-Nogi Ru-Ru-Ruka_ , th-the…fo-fo-four…th gen…generation h-he-heir o-of th-the…Sa… _Saffron_ _Hotel_ , Ja-Japan's le…leading h-ho-hotel ch-chain which…ha-has ex-exp-expanded i-in Eu…rope and Oceania?" A boy, who's roughly the same age as them with big, round glasses, Green eyes and hair, badly stuttered as he stared wide-eyed at him.

"Yeah, that's me." He confirmed, sheepishly. He threw a glance at Hotaru, sending her an S.O.S which she acknowledged.

"Quiz him later. Sit down and tell me _exactly_ what happened." The girl barked and the trio of men hurriedly sat on the sofa. They squirmed uncomfortably as they realized that they were in the presence of two of the youngest aristocrats in Japan.

"Well? We haven't got all day. Better start talking before I completely lose all patience and throw you all out." She spat from her seat behind her desk.

The three males looked at each other before a boy with beach-blonde hair and slits for eyes cleared his throat.

"We…I…I mean, we went to eat lunch. When we came back, all of our computers' wallpaper has changed and all of the important files were missing. We didn't even try to restart it because we were already suspecting that we've been hacked. If we did, they might have gotten more than what they needed." He explained, dejectedly.

"We checked the firewall and it shocked us that its disabled. The firewall was created by the three of us with your supervision. The only people who could know how to disable the firewall is the four of us. It's impossible that any of us did it." A boy with a semi-bald haircut and Brown eyes seethed, his hands clenching into fists against his leg.

"Th-That's wh-why w-w-we t-tr-tra-traced th-the I-IP ad…address a-and we…we f-fou…found th-that…" The bespectacled boy trailed off as he eyed his co-workers nervously. Hotaru, who was seating on her reclining chair caught on the exchange, straightened.

"Say it." She stated sharply.

The three shared another meaningful glance at one another before the stuttering, bespectacled boy whipped out the laptop he was carrying with him. He stumbled towards Hotaru's desk and placed the device in front of her. The boy scrambled back as a murderous area leaked out of the girl and suffocated the occupants of the room. Somehow, he could relate to her rage as stated on the screen, the address came from none other than Alice Academy.


	4. Chapter 4: How To Play

**A/N: The names of the companies/schools/brands are all made up. If there happens to be a name that appear in real life, it is purely coincidental.**

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"What happened yesterday? Some of our classmates told us that you and Ruka had an argument…Well, more like you grew tired of him as your slave and he chased after you like a mad man pleading for his life. So, what really happened?" Misaki questioned as she speared a carrot with her fork.

Hotaru ignored the girl's question as she continued to work on her computer and made plans to catch the hacker. The group was currently in the cafeteria for lunch and as usual, their table was subject to stares.

"Ruka finally had the brains to leave the Ice Princess. I'm proud that he survived after seven months of torture." Shouda Sumire, Alice Academy's Fashion Queen, crooned sarcastically.

"If you want to talk about torture, let's look at your relationship with Yome. _I'm_ impressed that he managed to keep his sanity, well, the miniscule sanity he has left with you as his girlfriend." The raven-haired girl bit back, her eyes straying from her laptop to take a glance at Sumire's reddening face. Koko, who was drinking his can of soda, spewed out his drink at Tsubasa's face to gape at Hotaru.

"Did…Did she just… _praise me_?" He asked, a trickle of soda dripping on his jaw from his hanging mouth.

"Hell no, man! She said you have _miniscule_ sanity! Wait. Do you even know what miniscule means?" The tattooed man prompted, wiping his face with a small towel Misaki has given him.

"Of course, I-"

"-know. Heck, he knows it because his sanity isn't the only thing that's miniscule." The voice of Hyuuga Natsume, Alice Academy's Sex God, interrupted Koko's obvious defense of himself. Squeals and giggles from the female populace as he graced them with his mere presence.

"Natsume, dude! How can you insinuate that?! I haven't even exposed myself to you!" The spiky, blonde haired boy wailed.

"You're fucking disgusting, Koko. Don't ever fucking say that line again or I will burn you alive." The Ruby-eyed debonair terrorized as he took his seat and the Alice Academy's Goofball obviously gulped, nervously.

"Putting aside death threats, it's nice to have your company, Natsume. We thought you wouldn't be here. Where's Koizumi? Isn't she with you?" The Golden Boy, Nogi Ruka, uttered earning a glare from both Sumire and Hotaru. He looked at them with an expression depicting, ' _What? I only asked because it's polite_.' The Ice Princess glared at him harder making him squirm in his seat.

"She's in the restroom. Told me she'll fix her lipstick." He answered with a smirk plastered on his handsome face as he popped his soda can open.

"I hope that you know what you're doing but, considering we're talking about you, I highly doubt that." Hotaru expressed, monotonously, from behind her laptop screen.

"Is the Ice Princess finally growing a heart? The last time I checked, you were too self-involved to care." Natsume sneered at her.

"Hotaru's raising a fair point, Natsume." Misaki began, her voice gentle and laced with concern. "She's the daughter of Japan's Prime Minister. One wrong move and he can destroy you and your family. I know that your family is loaded and well-connected but, don't underestimate what the Prime Minister can do. I don't know if you've heard but," At this point, the older girl leaned forward as she whispered her next words, "That girl was involved in a scandal, a rather _messy_ fight, in her previous school along with a dozen other girls. She went to juvy for at least a year because, apparently, three girls got hospitalized and one got traumatized with what she did. The Prime Minister got involved because the information was leaked and people, _powerful_ people, knew of Koizumi's involvement. The result was not pretty." The Pink-haired gal explained, her voice dropping to barely a whisper.

"What did happen, exactly?" Ruka asked, tentatively at the same time his girlfriend inquired, "How did you know that, Harada?" An elegant brow arched in skepticism at the pink-haired girl's knowledge about the well-kept information.

"I don't know the exact details of what happened but, according to my friend who attended the same school as Koizumi did, it escalated from mere bullying." She announced, leaning back on her chair and pushed her food with her fork.

"What school did she go to, anyway?" Sumire asked, off-handedly.

" _Meiko Isho_ All-Girl's School." Misaki answered and all eyes, excluding Hotaru and Natsume, bulged at her statement.

" _What_? You mean, _that_ prestigious, exclusive school had a _scandal_?" Tsubasa reacted, his hand flying as he straightened up and hit Koko's soda to which the spiky-blonde promptly cried out a complaint.

"Yeah, unbelievable, isn't it? That school highly prizes its well-mannered, educated, and extremely elegant female students but, the girls there are nowhere near classy. I saw them once and I can tell you that most of them are no wallflower. They had this dangerous glimmer in their eyes when they knew who I was and, of course, who would pass up the opportunity to get acquainted with someone from the upper echelon of society. I mean, they belong, well, most of them belong to the elite society but, you have to make connections when you see one."

"And since Koizumi was attending their school, they let her off the hook because they were sucking up to her father while the girls involved got more than ruined lives." Hotaru finished in a drawl, her fingers typing speedily against the keyboard.

"That pretty much sums it up. So, you see, Natsume, she's bad news, _really_ bad news. If _Hotaru_ warned you, though in an extremely horrible way, don't you think that it's a sign that you should at least keep her… _our_ concerns in mind? We don't want anything to happen to you. If you don't believe us, then, you should see the news for yourself. I'm sure that Hotaru will gladly show you knowing that she knew everything judging by her lack of reaction." The Pink-haired girl advised as she stared with apprehensive eyes at the Ruby-eyed boy who was lazily observing her. After a minute, he got up and began to leave.

"Natsume!" The older girl called on which the boy merely ignored.

"Leave it, Harada. It's up to him whether he believes. He likes to play so, we should just sit back and watch. Maybe, by some stroke of sheer dumb luck, he manages to win but, frankly, I have my doubts. If you'll excuse me, I have a rat to catch. Nogi, come with me." Hotaru announced as she closed her laptop and stood while Ruka gathered her things.

"What? A rat? Why do you have to catch a rat? You can just let your servants do that for you. Besides, classes aren't even over. Don't tell me _you're_ cutting classes?" Koko exploded, causing the girl to look at him wearily before looking at Sumire.

"I pity the both of you." She said in a tone that suggests nothing remotely near pity before she swept out of the cafeteria with the blonde boy totting behind her as Sumire and Koko yelled after her.

"Do you really need to rile them up?" Ruka asked as soon as they were out of the brightly lit cafeteria and into the open. The boy whipped out his umbrella to protect his girlfriend from the sun's harsh rays.

"It's not my fault that they react so quickly. Besides, it's not like it'll harm anybody to know the truth." She exclaimed, offhandedly as she lead the both of them to the computer laboratory.

"Okay, I know that it's the truth but, keep it down. I really want to at least have a day without an argument brewing between you and Sumire." Ruka laid down, his voice tinged with a bit of authority.

"Hmm…I'll think about it but, for now, I want you to be useful. I want you to stay at the security control room today." Ruka started to protest but, Hotaru silenced him with a deadly glare. "I asked Ibara to go to the Academy after you left from my office yesterday. He reported that the security personnel stationed at the control room in the West building were passed out on the floor. When they came to, the idiots can't remember a single thing except that a student entered the office and gave them refreshments." She grimaced in annoyance.

"So, they were drugged then. Did they tell what the student looks like?" He asked to which the girl huffed.

"No, they vaguely remember what the student looks like because they were given strong doses of sleeping pills and not just any sleeping pills. They were given _Obiox_ , an unauthorized and prohibited drug banned in the market due to its side effects. How they managed to get a hold of that is beyond me but, thanks to that, any illicit activities conducted within Alice Academy's system weren't monitored." The girl seethed as she entered the building where the computer laboratory was located.

"It's that bad, huh. Let me guess. You want me to go and stay there in case someone came." He deduced as he stashed the umbrella away.

"That's about half of it."

"What's the other?"

"I want you to record everything." She stated.

"That's pretty easy." He expressed, albeit a little bit stunned at the simplicity of her request.

"Oh, that's only the easy part." The girl smirked and he resisted the urge to groan as he realized he spoke too soon.

"What's…the hard part?" He asked, hesitantly.

"Delete it." Hotaru announced, stopping in the middle of the stairs and turned to face the Golden Boy as the light spilled from the glass wall behind her, bathing her with the sun's ray, making him squint at her unreadable expression.

" _Delete_ it? Hotaru, that's…You know that I can't do that. It's against the Academy's bylaws. Not to mention that I will be in the presence of the Academy's security personnel." He calmly explained but, deep inside he was a pile of nerves.

"I know." She merely shrugged uncaringly which made him crunched his face in disbelief.

"If you know then, why are you asking me to do that? I… _We_ will be expelled." He almost hissed, storming his way up to her until he was eye-level with her.

"I'm asking you because if this leaks out, people…my _enemies_ will use this against me. If they knew that someone managed to hack into my system, which was described to be impenetrable _and_ secure, they will do whatever it takes to do the same, steal all of my data and bring me down. Everything I have, my company, my people, my reputation, is the result of my efforts, my willingness to play against my enemies and I will not allow them to think that they have won." She spat out, her eyes burning with determination. Seeing her resolve to protect her company, her people, and herself, made him succumb to her wishes. He couldn't deny her of anything and the only thing he can do for her was support and protect her.

"Fine, I'll do it. I know that no matter what I say, you'll do it anyway." He relented after a short moment of silence. The girl merely looked at him with unadulterated amusement.

"It's nice to know that you understand me. Now that's over with, let's talk about the course of our action." Hotaru turned around and began to climb the stairs as she relayed her plan to her boyfriend. As he listened, he began to think that she might be suited to be a professional spy. The girl is well-versed with technology, has a vast network of information, and possesses the right attitude. If he didn't know her, he might have thought that she was, indeed, a spy.

"…Understand? Once you've done everything, tell me so, that I'll know. One more thing. Take this." She handed the boy a canister to which he curiously looked at before gazing back at her, eyes questioning.

"In case you need it." The girl exclaimed, like it was the most obvious thing in the world before turning a sharp right. She halted abruptly that he almost collided with her but, managed to stop himself.

"What is it?"

"Why are you following me?" She asked, her tone incredulous.

"Uhh…because…you're my girlfriend?" He remarked slowly, his expression mildly confused.

"I thought I told you to go to the control room. What, do you need me to take you there?" The girl looked at him with blank eyes but, he could sense her exasperation judging by her stiff jawline.

"I just wanted to make sure that you're safe. You never know, they might find it fun to ambush you while on your way." He stated as defense for his actions.

"I can take care of myself. Now, if you want me to be safer, you'll do as I ask and return only when I'm finished." Before he could even reply, Hotaru turned around and left him for the laboratory. He could only sigh and watch her figure disappear as she turned to another corridor.

He spared one last glance before beginning his task. He sticks to walking within the light as he wants to avoid looking suspicious. He greeted several of his schoolmates who greeted him but, he didn't linger long. As soon as he neared the security control room, he noticed a boy with a tall frame and a bright Auburn hair at the door, carrying what seems to be a box of sweets. His eyes widened as he realized that the boy must be the hacker and was beginning to operate his plans. Ruka hid at the nearest possible place, which happens to be the conference room, where student council and staff meetings take place.

Refusing to stick his head in for fear of being discovered, Ruka opened the door an inch wide and listened as the door of the control room opened. For a while, the shady student and a security staff talked before he heard footsteps receding and the sound of the door closing. He counted until sixty before coming out of his hiding spot and proceeded towards the room, cautiously. He listened, sticking an ear by the door, for any sound and when he only heard silence, he gingerly placed a hand on his jacket pocket, where he kept the canister Hotaru gave him. Praying that he comes out of this ordeal alive, he straightened, heaved a silent inhale before knocking.

For a second, he heard silence and his heart slowly beating on his ear. Then, he heard footsteps, slow and deliberate, as if taunting him to open the door but, he remained rooted at his position, his heart increasingly pounding against his ear until it stopped the same time the footsteps faded and the sound of the knob twisting open echoed in his ear. His hand flew to the canister at his pocket, tightly grasping it with his clammy palm as the door slowly swung open revealing a pair of polished, Black, Oxford shoes, long legs concealed by a pair of form-fitting, Black, slacks, the Academy's winter jacket with a Gothic brooch pinned at the lapel paired with a Black turtleneck and a White, collared shirt.

Mauve lips curved into a smile as striking, Blue eyes stared back at him. His Red hair glowed like a beacon against the dark of the room behind him, like a crown of fire, and like a stream of blood. He saw the taller boy open his mouth to speak but, his hands was quicker and before he knew it, he was brandishing the canister in front of him, pressing down at the button on top with his index finger and Green mist exploded which made his eyes water. He heard the sound of a body falling flat on the ground and he immediately retracted his arm to see that the Auburn-haired boy knocked out cold. Pocketing the canister, he looked behind him to see if there are any potential witnesses and when he found none, he stepped in, dragging the not-so-light body of the incapacitated boy.

He dumped the boy at the corner and let out a huge exhale as he finished the nerve-wracking and physically exhausting task. He arched his back like a cat and massaged his shoulders, feeling his muscles relax when he heard the air whip and his head collided with a particularly hard object. He groaned in pain, stumbling as stars danced behind his eyes. He felt something wet drip down his temple and fingered his forehead only to see blood on his hand.

"We knew that you would come." A quiet voice filled the semi-darkened room.

Ruka raised his bleeding head and quietly groan as pain shot up. Through his hazy vision, he saw a figure of a boy with Black hair, startling Grey eyes, and the most curious of them all is the White bandage that dominated half of his face and the whole of his neck. He was wearing his uniform properly except for his loose tie and two undone buttons. Nestled on his right hand was a long, steel pipe that he dragged against the floor, creating a screeching sound that made Ruka wince.

"You should have listened. _She_ should have listened."

"Who…Who are you?" He asked, wheezing heavily due to his injury.

"Someone who will show you no mercy." The conversation ended as the bandaged boy swung the pipe with unprecedented speed that he barely dodged it. Ruka barely recovered when the boy strikes again and he rolled to his side as the pipe hit the floor, creating a dent.

He felt his phone vibrate from his pants' pocket and he cursed inwardly. The on-site test for the fourth day is beginning and he still hasn't prepared the monitor of the computer laboratory surveillance to record. If he failed to do everything that Hotaru asked, well, more or less ordered, he will suffer a fate much more horrible than the one he was currently in. Deciding to risk it than face his girlfriend's wrath, he swiftly stood, taking the Black-haired boy by surprise as he lunged towards him and brought him down on the ground.

He heard the sickening crack of the other boy's head as it collided with the floor but, he didn't linger on the obvious damage he had caused. He punched, jabbed, and punched some more until the boy was black and blue. He stopped his assault when blood gushed down the other boy's accompanied by low groans and moans of pain. He quickly jumped away, swaying as he did due to exhaustion, blood loss, and adrenaline rushing all at once. Ruka felt for the keyboard and turned on the power. Blue light flashed before him and he immediately clamped his eyes shut as the glare of the screen momentarily blinded him. Recovering, he switched on the surveillance and proved Hotaru's claim. Hastily, he navigated through the commands, fumbling for a while, before he finally got the security camera he wanted.

He saw that the test was just about to begin and he heaved a sigh of relief. He pushed the record button before sending a message to his girlfriend that he has done what she had asked. He was about to replace his phone back on his pocket when he felt himself sailing to the air and to the ground as a heavy weight crushed him flat. He barely recovered when fists rained down on him, like a raging storm thundering through the erratic currents. As more punched landed on his entire body, he felt himself slipping but, he saw the light of the monitor and remembered Hotaru's words, ' _I will not allow them to think that they have won_.' Hearing her voice, even if it's in his head, made his crumbling resolution strengthen and grappled for a plan.

Remembering the canister he stashed inside his pocket, a thought crossed his mind and he allowed the bandaged boy land a few more hits before he found an opening and whipped the canister in front of him, exposing the other boy to the sharp tang of the Green mist. Ruka retracted his hand as the boy fell limp above him. He pushed the boy aside and breathed a sigh of relief before reluctantly standing to dump the other boy with his accomplice. He scavenge for a rope and was delighted to see one, thick and long enough to tie two teenage boys back-to-back. Once he finished securing the two boys, he checked the two security personnel sleeping at the corner. He checked their pulses and was delighted to know that they were still breathing. He caught sight of the box that was brought by the Auburn-haired boy at another table and saw a whole array of delectable sweets. He closed the box and stashed at the monitor table in order for his not to forget.

He slumped down, his whole body aching from the recent fight and winced as he moved to sit more appropriately. He realized he must have broken at least a rib or two which was not his concern at the moment as he felt himself getting dizzy from blood loss due to his cracked-up skull. He slowly sunk to darkness, his last memory the sound of alarm bells as the control room was alerted of an illegal activity, signaling that the game has begun.


	5. Chapter 5: Telling Tales

**She stood at the middle of the aisle, regal and poised, as if she was a queen. He looked for a way out and found himself cornered, like a rat. He hadn't anticipated for the girl to play dirty but, he was impressed. He found himself respecting her when she figured out he was, indeed, the rat who hacked into her system. There were at least fifty students at the laboratory, all of which using the computer units at the same time. How she knew was beyond him. It didn't bother him at the moment. What bothers him at the moment is that she resembled someone. A girl he used to see on national television when he was a kid.**

 **"I'll ask you again. What do you want? Lie to me and I'll blow your brains." She threatened as the air shifted around her, invoking his urge to shiver as the cool beauty stared at him with icy, amethyst eyes and at the same time, fawn over her as the longer he looked at her, the more she resembled his favorite character in a show he loved as a kid, _Cool Blue Sky_. The character's icy demeanor matches the girl in front of him as well as the fictional girl's unparalleled beauty. No, the girl glaring at him was much _more_ beautiful.**

 **"Quit gawking and start talking." The girl hissed, taking a step forward with her arm extended as she aimed at him an odd-looking weapon in the shape of a horse shoe.**

 **" _She even talks like her_!" He thought jovially as he stared at her dreamily, his face breaking into a goofy smile. His foolish grin was immediately wiped off his face as high-speed balls zoomed towards him. He barely had the time to duck before he was hit, square on the face, with not one but, three balls. **

**" _Ouch_! What the hell do ya think you're doin'?" He cried as he clutched his rapidly reddening nose.**

 **"I told you to talk." She spat, irritation and frustration creeping up her face.**

 **"Talk about what?" He asked, pretending to look confused and innocent. The girl looked at him with pure disdain. He concluded she was not convinced.**

 **"You have three seconds to spill your guts before _I_ spill your guts." The girl exclaimed and judging by her stony expression, he knew she was not kidding. **

**"One." She began.**

 **He considered his options. He could run and force his way out. Taking down the girl's security would be easy as taking a candy from a baby since he's a skilled fighter but, even before her could reach the exit, the girl would have shot him with her odd but, painful contraption. The balls she fired hurt like cows trampling above him (It happened. Don't ask.) and he didn't want to experience it again.**

 **"Two."**

 **At this point, he was sweating like a pig. He considered his first option as not a horrible idea compared to his second option which is to give in to the girl and, as she worded it, spill his guts. It might have been an easy decision if he was just doing it for fun but, unfortunately, he was not. He had to do it or he and his friends will have their guts spilled, literally. He couldn't afford to lose his life and in the process, his friends' lives as well just because he couldn't control his suppressed feelings at seeing the living, _breathing_ Cool Blue Sky.**

 **" _Sorry, Cool Blue Sky. I've to protect those idiots_." He mentally apologized as he made up his mind.**

 **"Three."**

 **He felt his walls crumbling down as he stared at her depthless, amethyst eyes. Even before she finished pronouncing the letter ' _e_ ', he was on his knees, prostrating himself to her as if she was a goddess. He inwardly cursed himself for his stupidity and his fondness of the age-old anime character.**

 **"I take it you'll talk." She said, recovering from the unpredictable gesture made by the boy.**

 **"I'll talk but, ya have ta promise me that you'll shut down _Cognibyte_." He replied, gingerly as he straightened himself. He instantly regretted his words as the girl shot him with her weapon. Suddenly, his first option was much more appealing than his second option.**

 **"How dare you. First, you hack into my company. Second, you steal all of our data. Now, you have the audacity to make me promise to shut down the operating system I've been developing since I built my own company. You sure are digging your own grave." She eloquently replied but, any elegance that her words had been lost as a menacing tone had prevailed in her voice. He gulped.**

 **"That's just it. I've already dug my grave by doin' this." He sighed as he pushed himself off the ground.**

 **The girl quirked a quizzical brow at him, a gesture which probed him to speak, well, it was the blasted weapon aimed at him that made him speak but, if he was being honest, which he was at this point, the combination of the girl's agonizing glare and her evil device was extremely difficult to resist.**

 **"I…We were ordered." He confessed.**

 **"By who?"**

 **" _Oh, come on_!" He whined. Seeing the girl take a step to him, he surrendered.**

 **"It's… _Fuck_! I can't say it! They'll fuckin' kill me!" He raved, his Grey eyes wide with panic.**

 **"How about this? If you keep stalling, I will blast your head off of your body or you tell me now and I'll make arrangements to keep you and your idiot friends safe. Choose one fast because my patience is wearing thin." The girl propositioned which took him by surprise.**

 **He stared at her with curious but, cautious eyes. The girl that he and his friends were ordered to destroy was offering them a way out. It was a tempting offer but, if the girl does keep her promise, she and everybody she values has secured a target on their backs. He couldn't implicate her but, he wanted to taste freedom and if the girl was offering one, he would take it even if he would end up into yet another complicated servitude for accepting.**

 **"Fine. Ya better do your promise 'cause, I ain't allowing ya to back out once I told'ya what I know." He reminded the girl which only gained him a slight incline of the head from the sophisticated beauty in front of him.**

 **"Fuck, I really do hope ya do your promise 'cause I-" He wasn't able to finish his sentence as the girl fired her gadget yet again. He yelped as he dodged the balls and watched as it created a small but, substantial damage on the pillar behind him.**

 **"Spit. It. Out." The girl spat through gritted teeth.**

 **"Okay, okay! No need to be violent, a'ight. I already told'ya we're ordered. Before ya even ask who," He raised his voice seeing as the girl would, once again, interrupt him and ask, "I'll tell ya now. I ain't tellin' ya. It's not 'cause I don't want to, it's more of I don't know."**

 **"You don't know who ordered you to threaten me and hack into my system? That seems far-fetched, don't you think?" She asked, her voice edged with venom.**

 **"Hard to believe but, it's true. I only…I mean, my friends and I talk to…Uhh…an associate? Ah, secretary! Right, the secretary. He relays the boss' orders. If we ever have questions, he's the one who tells the boss. In all honesty, no one has seen the boss' face or maybe it's only us, underlings." He explained, eyeing the girl nervously.**

 **"So, you're part of an underground group." She concluded to which he nodded.**

 **"More or less. We ain't exactly part of the group. They only include us 'cause of our skills and 'cause the boss told the group we're useful. No one understood how we, a bunch of kids are useful, until we came here."**

 **"You came here to spy on us and as far as that goes, you're not a good one. How can you allow yourself to be caught?"**

 **"You're meant to catch us." He answered, cryptically which made her beautiful face crunch in confusion before it returned back to the cool façade she was wearing earlier.**

 **"This is a threat, a rather bolder move compared with the letter." She stated which earned her a smirk.**

 **"We wanted ya to drop the project but, knowing ya, it wouldn't work so, they decided to make it more hands-on. Can't blame them for doin' that. You're pretty headstrong about the project." He shrugged noncommittally.**

 **"Why? Why are you so adamant about my project? What will that give you?"**

 **"It's not your project that we're interested in. It's you. _Your group_." He exclaimed and for the first time since they began their " _conversation_ ", she was speechless.**

 **"Managed to finally shut ya up. Anyway, ain't the main point. We just wanna say hello. With fuck knows how many enemies ya guys have at this point, it's natural for us to give our regards to ya. I know we ain't friends but, a bit of advice. Don't get too cozy here. This Academy is shit. But, I know ya know that. Ya have been here for two years. I just wanna remind ya that this place is crawlin' with enemies. Ya shoulda take care of who ya view as friends 'cause they're the easiest to turn on your back."**

 **"What are you implying?" The girl finally inquired, breaking her tense silence.**

 **"I ain't implying shit. Just 'cause I told'ya stuff, doesn't mean ya have to take it in full stride. I'm just warnin' ya. Ya ain't got brains for nothin'. Just use it wisely."**

 **"Is that it? You're not going to say anything else?"**

 **"What else d'ya wanna hear?" He crossed his arms, eyebrows hitting the roof of his forehead.**

 **"Don't think that I'll believe you easily. You didn't just allow yourself to be caught just to say hello. Tell me what they asked you to deliver to me." She responded with fake insouciance.**

 **He could see the alarm as clear as day in her eyes but, her face remained as impassive as it is. He was respecting the girl every second he spends with her despite the constant taunting her gave her. He realized that she was used to it given who she is, well, probably everyone in the Academy is used to it, including him and his friends. Not many in the school are saints and even if they were, the moment they step inside the grounds, all traces of goodness in their hearts will be erased due to the competition, threats, and backstabbing. One has to harden his heart if he is to survive Alice Academy and he needed to desperately at this point. He needed to scare her, _really_ frighten her for everything to go as planned.**

 **"Since ya so persistent, I'll tell ya. What ya said was true. I ain't just here to scare ya. I'm here to tell ya we already started. Not just on ya but with your other friends. Ya can tell them and ya'll can plan all ya want but, ya ain't stoppin' it. If ya do, be ready to have blood on your hands."**

The recording stopped, filling the entire room with silence. Two figures seated on their knees and one on his butt, staring at the man opposite them as he absorbed what he just watched. He was still for a while, his hands poised in a prayer position, his lips lightly grazing his fingers and his eyes closed in apt concentration. Slowly, a smile worked its way on his lips before it turned into a full-blown smirk. He chuckled in amusement before opening his blood, Red eyes and dropping his hands to stare at the three boys in front of him, waiting for his reaction.

"I must say, well done, boys. Especially you, Hayate. I never thought that you were good in acting. Should we hone your skills even further? I can introduce you to a great acting teacher." The man said, his eyes twinkling with mirth both from the recording and with his own statement.

"No, thanks. Acting ain't my thing." He grumbled with a frown.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" The man asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Nothin'." Hayate murmured, hanging his head by the chin and stared at his crossed legs.

"Oh! I know what this is! You like Imai Hotaru!" The man exclaimed. His eyes bulged as he saw the Grey-eyed boy blush and he burst into uncontrollable peals of laughter.

"Oh, for _fuck's_ sake! You _do_ like that stoic doll face!"

"Shut up, Reo! I-I don't li-like her! Not like that!" Hayate denied, stumbling over his words as he did.

"Sure you don't! She has Nogi Ruka for a boyfriend. As far as lovers go, he's a better bet. He's rich and half-French. While you're…" Reo trailed off as his eyes raked over Hayate's form head to toe before laughing richly once more. The boy scowled at the guffawing man.

"You know, Nogi Ruka has the prettiest Blue eyes I've ever seen. It's like the heart of the ocean. Oh, how I long to gaze at those eyes while sitting on his lap on the beach as the sun set. Ah, how romantic can that be?!" The boy at the middle of the seated trio exclaimed, gushing and squirming in his seat, Auburn hair flying on his face.

"I thought ya like Hyuuga…Wait. Was it Andou? Ah, fuck it! Anyone whose face is handsome lands on your shitty list! Somethin' with bad boys with cool cars and tight muscles." Hayate mused, suppressing the urge to gag.

"Are you _spying_ on me?" The Auburn-haired boy growled, his Sapphire-Blue eyes glowing like the pits of hell as he glared at him.

"Now, now, calm down, Rui. I'm sure that Hayate didn't mean to pry on your…hobbies." Reo stated, bestowing the simmering boy, a killer smile. Immediately, Rui squealed in delight.

"Never mind Nogi Ruka, Hyuuga Natsume, and Andou Tsubasa! You're my number one, Reo!" Rui fawned as he scrambled to sit beside Reo who looked mildly alarmed by the other boy's enthusiasm.

The handsome, Red-haired man stole a glance at Hayate, who was merely watching the scene in front of him with a wicked smirk. Knowing that he would have no chance with the Grey-eyed boy, he flicked his gaze towards the silent, bandaged boy, who watched the entire happening with a disinterested stare. Sensing eyes on him, the Black-haired boy switched his gaze towards the Red-haired man. Reo tipped his head towards Rui and understanding dawned unto the Black-haired boy.

"Rui, that's enough." He said, his voice crisp and cool.

"Ehhh~, I still want to cuddle with Reo! I don't get to do this often since he's always busy with tours and song recordings!" The Auburn-haired boy complained, his Mauve lips pouting and his sapphire-Blue eyes glazing with faux tears as he stared at the Black-haired boy with all the loneliness and pain he could muster.

"Drop the act. We still have plenty to discuss. The Boss would need him soon." He enunciated sharply as he gazed hard at the boy clinging tightly on Reo's arm.

"You always take the fun out of things, Yakumo! If I don't know you at all, I would say that you're jealous!" Rui simpered as he saw the Black-haired boy stiffen at his statement.

"Yakumo's right, Rui. I still have to report everything to the Boss. I'm certain that he would like to know Nogi Ruka's unexpected punching skill." Reo exclaimed after untangled his arm from Rui's hands. He shifted slightly to the left in order to create some distance between him and the girly guy as the boy's actions unnerved and scared him endlessly.

"Man, that fucker can punch! I mean, Yakumo looks horrible!" Hayate commented as he pointed at the Black-haired boy with his thumb.

Everyone in the room looked at the said boy, appraising his appearance and knew that he was beyond horrible. He had a broken nose, a bruised cheek, cracked-up skull, fractured neck, and two ruptured ribs. If having his left face bandaged was normal, having half of his entire body covered with White dressings was not much of an improvement.

"Horrible or not, it's still lucky of us that Yakumo didn't lose consciousness or else we wouldn't have been able to get the recording. Although, it's unlucky of them." Reo chuckled.

"It was really a great idea to let Yakumo inside the control room first! Nogi Ruka was sure stunned to know that there's another one with me!" Rui said in the midst of giggling uncontrollably.

"Ya were hit with a sleepin' spray, numbskull! How would'ya know?!" Hayate countered.

"Nogi Ruka turned on the security cameras located in the West building that we painstakingly disabled." The Auburn-haired boy answered with a triumphant look in his eyes.

"All ya did was deliver the food and t'wasn't even needed! Yakumo knocked out the stinkin' gooseheads to sleep!" The Grey-eyed retaliated hotly, earning him a slap in the head by the Auburn-haired boy.

"Stop it, you two. All of you did great. Let's end it at that. I'll deliver everything that we've talked about to the boss. In the meantime, the three of you rest, especially you, Yakumo. We'll need you in the following days so, gather your strength. Rui, keep an eye on Yakumo. Hayate, well, you know what to do. Imai Hotaru surely doesn't fully trust you. Step up on your game in the following week. For now, lay low." Reo stated, his voice commanding, leaving the three no other option but, to obey. Seeing as they understood his words, he stood with a flourish and the boys followed suit in order to bow to him in respect. He padded through the door and slid it open, breathing the fresh, warm air. He glanced back at the three boys and spoke.

"Remember to report anything to me. Keep a secret from me and I will personally slaughter you all." With his parting words, Reo stepped out of the room, sliding the door close, leaving the three in heavy silence.

"We are in serious trouble." Rui muttered quietly at his two companions as he eyed them anxiously.

"Ya think I didn't know that? We just fuckin' lied! If they knew, ya heard what the mother fuckin' Redhead said!" Hayate hissed.

"Are you really sure that Imai Hotaru will help us?" The Auburn-haired boy asked, his feminine features crunched into a mask of distress.

"I…I ain't sure. I told her everythin' and she came up with the idea of recordin' a fake confrontation. We met up the day we first hacked into her company's computer and I spilled everythin'. She promised to keep us safe if we cooperate. She said she'll contact us when she's done with the necessary paper works." The Grey-eyed boy whispered uncertainly.

"Well, contact her now. I don't think I can stay here much longer. Sooner or later, they'll find out and then, our heads will start rolling." Rui exclaimed.

"Like that'll be easy!" Hayate snorted inelegantly.

"What do you mean?" Yakumo queried, speaking the first time since Reo had left.

"I don't have her number." The Grey-eyed boy announced.

"What?! You don't have- Oh! This is just great! Just _fucking_ great! You plan this whole dam-" Rui's tirade was cut off by Hayate as he clapped a hand on the Auburn-haired boy's mouth which earned him a harsh glare from the other boy.

"Will ya shut your fuckin' mouth?! Somebody'll catch us! 'sides, it ain't my fault sh-"

"You can hack into her computer. You managed to hack into her company's system, why not do it again?" Yakumo declared, cutting his tirade.

The two bickering boys stared at him before gushing over his words, praising him as a genius, and worshipping him as if he was a God. Ignoring their antics, he made his way to the antique tea table on which four cups of half-drunk sake and a Silver laptop sat. He kneeled in front of the screen and closed the video player, weaving his way through the keyboard as he typed in codes and letters to enable him to hack into the Ice Princess' system. He felt his two companions' presence beside him but, he simply ignored them as he concentrated. He was halfway finished when he heard a bell, the sound coming from Rui's phone signifying that a message has just arrived.

He was about to press ' _Enter_ ' when the sound of Rui and Hayate's gasped filled the room. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he leaned towards his huddled friends, who were staring wide-eyed at the Auburn-haired boy's phone. His eyes mimicked his companions' when he saw a picture of a girl with a strikingly familiar brunette hair and soft, Honey-Brown eyes standing eloquently at a waiting area of what appears to be Narita Airport with her Sky Blue suitcase by her side. Underneath the image was a caption written by no other than the mysterious blogger that haunts Alice Academy.

 _"God save the Queen for she is back._

 _Yukihira Mikan, Alice Academy's Reigning Queen, has finally been spotted._

 _Welcome home, Queen M. I hope you have juicy tales to tell."_

 _xoxo_

 _Ms. A_

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, I'm sorry. I know I said that I'll updated TTHS but, I didn't update last Saturday. Please don't shoot me! Let me explain. I was having a crazy-ass fever and I didn't have the energy to type, not to mention, everything I think gets all jumbled up so, I gave up (Also, my mom wouldn't let me go near my computer. You guys should have seen how she stole it from me.). Anyway, now I'm feeling better so, here I am giving you the update you've all been waiting for! How's that for an introduction for Mikan? Let me know what you guys think! Love, love, love, BlueLilyLilyBlue!**

 **P.S. I changed my name in AO3 so, in case you happen to go there, please look for the account name, cappucakku (Don't judge me for the name, okay. I like cupcakes!). That's me so, don't be alarmed if you saw the story XOXO, Ms. A under that account, o'cakes? Thank you so much, guyths~**


	6. Chapter 6: There And Back Again

"Wow! Japan hasn't changed one bit!" A girl with wavy, Bubblegum-Pink hair exclaimed jovially as she gazed exuberantly outside of her window. She was still jumpy from her flight and it worsened when she caught sight of the streets of her beloved hometown.

"We haven't been to Japan for three years. Surely, things have changed." The voice of a girl with straight, long, Blue-Black hair chastised as she stared wearily at the girl. Her jetlag wasn't doing anything kind to her attitude and her friend wasn't helping either.

"Ugh! Stop being so grouchy, Nonoko! We're back! We can finally go shopping at Ginza – Oh, we can go to Akomeya for gourmet food items and Itoya, for stationery and art supplies! You know how much I love to collect stationeries and I've started enjoying painting, especially watercolor! Oh, th-"

"Stop! Gosh, Anna! We haven't been back in Japan for a day and all you can talk about is shopping _and_ travelling. For your information, some of us might want to get some sleep because _someone_ kept on talking inside the plane _in a loud voice_ that the flight attendants kept on returning back to our seats because people are complaining!" The Blue-Blacked haired girl, Nonoko, interjected with an irritated glare.

"You know that I can't keep still inside a plane! I get nervous! I keep thinking bad things will happen! Something like, ' _What if we crash in some unknown island?_ ' or ' _What if we get abducted by aliens?_ ' or ' _What if w-_ '"

"Gah, stop! Stop with your inane babbling or your crazy thinking whatever! We made it here in one piece, didn't we?" Nonoko interrupted Anna's hysterics, once again as the pounding in her head heightened. She rubbed her temple in an attempt to ease her pain.

"Still, that doesn't mean that it won't happen." Anna mumbled under her breath.

"We really shouldn't have brought you back with us. You're a terrible travel companion." The jetlagged girl complained, shaking her head in exasperation.

"That's mean! You know that I didn't just come along for fun! I'm opening a branch of my family's restaurant here!" The Bubblegum-Pink haired girl defended, huffing as she crossed her arms on her chest.

"That's not the only reason we came back, you know." She expressed quietly and unconsciously, two sets of eyes drifted to the girl sitting on the left, her attention captured by the bustling street their limousine passed by. They saw sadness float across her Honey-Brown eyes and a melancholic smiled flitted across her Peony lips.

"I'll feel awkward if the two of you keep on staring at me." The girl voiced out, chuckling with amusement. She swiveled her attention to her two sheepish friends and smiled at them sweetly.

"Sorry. It's just that we know how difficult it is for you to be here." Anna apologized, her previous delight squashed by her sympathy for her brunette friend.

"I have to do this. I'll have to return sooner or later." She answered, shrugging her shoulders elegantly.

"Are you sure? What about you friends? What will you do if they fi-" Nonoko stopped her questions at the sight of the girl. She felt her heart squeeze in compassion, pain, and sadness for the suffering girl, no, woman before her.

"It'll be okay. I'm sure that they'll understand." The Blue-Black haired girl comforted, placing a gentle hand on the brunette's fingers. The other girl reciprocated by giving her a watery smile.

"Way to go, Nonoko! You've just made her cry!" Anna stated, giving Nonoko a disapproving stare.

"Me? Don't be ridiculous! She's crying because you're being highly infuriating. I'm sure that in the back of her mind, she's already skinning you alive, impaling to you a stake, and burning you alive at a pyre." The girl described in detail.

"Are you sure that's not your own imagination? Because I really can't believe that something as horrid as that can cross her mind." The Bubblegum-Pink haired girl expressed, her face crunched in a mask of fear.

"Please, that is _nothing_ compared to the things I would like to do to you." Nonoko responded which made Anna scramble out of her seat and made to the farthest one in hopes of chasing away her horrible fate at the hands of the Blue-Black haired girl.

A tender laughter, much like that of the tinkling of bells, wafted to their ears and the two bickering friends gaze at the brunette as her shoulders shook in glee.

"You two never cease to entertain me." She exclaimed in between laughs as she wiped tears away from her lashes.

"Well, not that I wish to be a comedian but, I'm glad that I can be the source of your entertainment." Anna responded with a grin and the three friends fell into peals of laughter, feeling closer to each other than before.

Soon enough, their limousine stopped, signaling that they have arrived. The car door opened and the two girls immediately went out, squealing in excitement at the thought of arriving home. The brunette lingered inside the limousine, her mind whirling with different thoughts and her heart pounding against her chest painfully. It seemed surreal for her, to be back at the place where she spent most of her childhood and at the same time, she felt scared knowing that things has changed. For three years, she cut off her family and friends from herself, determined to stand on her feet as she journeyed to a place where no one knows her and to a place where she could rebuild herself. She managed to be independent, to be responsible and she thought she finally found the place where she belonged but, even before she could settle with the thought, she had to settle things from her past.

She knew it wasn't going to be easy, as much as everything else is but, she resolved to finish what she has started. It took her a long time to find the courage to give the people who waited for her answers and now that she found it, she would face her family, her friends with bravery before she loses it. Stepping out of the car, she felt the warm rays of the sun pierce through her skin. She looked up and squinted as she looked up at the bright sky. Even though she lived under the same sky in a different place, she felt like the sky back here at Japan was the most beautiful and it made her tear up in regret for all the choices she made. She looked down, blinking away her tears as a seed of doubt sprouted at the depths of her heart. She couldn't stop halfway and turn around again.

"This time, I'll be brave." She whispered to herself, prompting herself to walk.

Her eyes wandered around, marveling at how much things has changed and how much has not. The garden seemed bigger with the addition of a maze of hedge which was cut in the middle to reveal a huge fountain, depicting the goddess, Venus, as she emerged to the world from the sea or in this case, by the water spewed by the fountain. An arch made of leaves, roots, and flora stood at the entrance of the lane leading to the mansion. Flowers of different variety dotted the shrubbery lined at the pathway. Light posts stood tall by the undergrowth, seeming like a knight protecting his lady. A vast green lawn occupied the remainder of the ground which extended to the forest of lush trees surrounding the entire compound.

The chirping of birds was like music to her ears with the accompaniment of the rustling of leaves as the wind beat softly against its smooth surface. Once again, she felt as if she were a child, running about the massive grounds, dashing after whatever caught her interest. It brought a warm smile on her face and wished for times to be as simple as before but, staring at the huge Mediterranean mansion before her, she felt no surge of wonder and magic go through her. Instead, all she felt was longing and agony. Her feelings flourished further as she took a step on the stairs, leading to the foyer. She saw her two friends, Anna and Nonoko, waiting patiently for her. They smiled at her encouragingly as they each offered a hand which she gladly accepted.

She was nervous beyond reason and it exploded when the heavy, wooden double doors opened revealing a stunning, smiling couple. Her breath hitched as her eyes landed on a woman who mirrors the same features as her except for her shoulder-length brunette hair and slightly mature clothing that consists of a long-sleeved, Maroon, Maxi dress made of lace she paired with a pair of sleek, four-inch, Black pumps. Pearl earrings and necklace decorated her ears and neck, accentuating her simple but, elegant dress. Light make-up dusted her face, emphasizing her beauty even further. A twinkle caught her attention and she turned her eyes to the source of the sparkle, finding herself staring at the wedding ring of her mother. It was 1930's inspired platinum and diamond wedding ring with a sparkling center jewel accompanied by side baguettes and small gems. It was an heirloom jewelry passed to her father by her grandmother which was given to her mother at the day of her wedding. She still thought of it as a beautiful trinket to possess as it witnessed its owners' eternal love.

The hand which contained the ring, caressed the arm wrapped around it and the movement brought her out of her musings, prompting her to look at the man accompanying the youthful woman. Her eyes watered as she stared at the man's kind, Hazel eyes, at his endearing smile, and basically at the warm aura he exudes. The years had been kind to him as it had with the woman hanging by his arm. He stood few inches taller than his female companion even if she was wearing stilettos. His blonde hair was stylishly tousled which handsomely shaped his devilishly, dashing features. His clothes which consisted of a Crème dinner jacket over a Periwinkle, button-up, long-sleeved polo with a Black tie hanging on his neck, denim pants he accessorized with a Burnt Umber belt and to finish off his casual fashion, he wore a pair of leather, Brown, Wingtip, Oxford shoes.

He extended his hand to her; all rational thought flew out of her mind, unable to control her feelings as she surged forward, her arms engulfing the man into a tight embrace. Arms circled around her waist and her barely suppressed tears gushed out of her eyes. Soothing circles were drawn to her back and she found herself calming down which was made easier as the familiar scent of his perfume – a sweet and woody mixture of pineapple, birch, and musk drifted to her nose. Feeling slightly better, she pulled away and breathed out in happiness at finally feeling her father's embrace.

"I missed you, Daddy." She choked out, her throat constricting at the turbulence of her emotions.

"As did I, sweetheart. I missed you _so_ much, Mikan." Her father answered, making fresh tears fall from her cheeks.

A gentle hand wiped away the salty liquid from her face and Mikan unconsciously leaned in at the familiar touch, memories of her brilliant childhood floating inside her mind. She touched the hand on her face gingerly then with confidence as she gripped the soft fingers caressing her cheek.

"Hello, Mommy. I'm home." She greeted with a watery smile.

"Hello, my darling angel. Welcome back." The woman replied with a dazzling smile, her Brown eyes shining with unshed tears.

Losing her composure, the woman embraced her and once again, the familiar scent of her mother's perfume – a mix of floral, sweet, and spicy aroma with the Iris fragrance as the main note, followed by patchouli, and finished with the pleasantness of a gourmand blend, brought back happy tears in her eyes. She felt strong, rugged arms engulf both her mother and herself, making it even more difficult to keep the tears at bay. She sobbed into their arms as she mumbled incoherent words of apology while her parents merely comforted and waited for her to calm down.

"Can I join in?" A voice – tender and a tad feminine – asked, echoing and bouncing to their ears.

They broke apart, startled by the sudden interruption. Mikan's lips curved into a delighted smile as her eyes landed on a man with feminine features that blend well with his shoulder-length, blonde hair and Jade eyes at the top of the Grand staircase. He reciprocated her smile by giving her an equally bright smile of his own.

"Uncle Narumi!" The young brunette ran up to the man and tackled him into an embrace. He stumbled a little by the force of her sudden action but, he recovered himself and enveloped the girl in his arms.

"It's nice to see you too, Mikan." He whispered against her ear.

She chuckled lightly, his breath tickling her flesh and pulled away from him. He still looked beautiful, even as man. Three years seemed to make him even more youthful as he didn't change that much. He still has his beauty mark under his left eye. He still wore his gaudy earrings with an equally garish necklace and rings but, his normally flamboyant outfits that he usually wore when she was a child was toned down to a White, button-up, long-sleeved polo with the top button undone, Purple jeans which he paired with a Tan, Cap Toe Derby, lace-up shoes. It surprised and saddened her at the same time that changes are becoming visible to her one by one.

"You look dapper, Uncle." She exclaimed, squashing her melancholy away. The beautiful man chuckled in hilarity as he chucked her chin in his fingers.

"You look _more_ dapper than me, darling Mikan." He responded, making her blush at his statement.

She looked down at herself and thought how she looked elegant. She wore a mid-thigh, Crème, Breakglass dress with a V-neckline that she paired with a four-inch, satin, Red stiletto with ankle straps decorated with bows located at the back of the shoe fastening. She had her flowing, wavy, waist-long, brunette hair down as she was lazy to tie it up in an up-do. She had minimal make-up on her face which consisted only of a lip stain, mascara, and eyeliner so, that she would be presentable to the public, especially to her family. All in all, she was the epitome of simplicity and not of sophistication.

"Stop thinking too much. It'll make you have wrinkles. We wouldn't want that, would we?" The teasing voice of her uncle broke her reverie and Mikan looked at him only to see him staring at her amusingly.

"Why would I have wrinkles at my age? If anything, you should advice yourself that. I can see some crinkles on the edges of your eyes." She teased back, making the feminine man widen his Green eyes comically as he fingered his face, checking if, indeed, there were wrinkles. Mikan snickered at his antics.

"Don't worry, Naru. You're still beautiful even if you have wrinkles." The sweet drawl of her mother rang out and the brunette turned around to see her wink at her.

"Oh, you two are ganging up on me! Izumi, don't just stand there and watch! Your wonderful wife, Yuka and your equally wonderful daughter, Mikan are bullying me!" Narumi complained, pouting his lips in mock frustration.

"I think I'm perfectly comfortable where I am. Besides, I'm sure you can handle them." He replied with a grin of his own. His wife smothered her bubbling laughter with a hand.

"Fine! Do what you want! But, I'm warning you right now, I'll take my revenge on you and when that time comes, I won't take no for an answer." Narumi threatened, smirking as the smiles on the couple's lips faded and was replaced by expressions of alarm.

Mikan merely chuckled at them, relieved that even after her disappearance, there were still things that never changed and she thanked the stars for giving her such a wonderful family.

"Okay, enough. We'll humor you, Naru. Just…Just don't overdo whatever it is that you plan. I don't think I can take another Art Deco inspired photo-shoot." Izumi declared dejectedly, grimacing as he remembered _that_ particular day.

"Art Deco photo-shoot?" Mikan asked curiously, her head cocking to the side.

Laughter echoed at the foyer as both her uncle and mother cackled with so much mirth that made her father glare at them.

"Oh, honey! We have so much to tell you!" Her mother breathed out in between giggles.

"Please, don't! Anything but, that!" Izumi pleaded with growing trepidation in his Hazel eyes but, it was all for naught as the two laughed even harder and the sounds her family was creating tickled the funny bone in her body, making her laugh with them.

"Fine, fine! Tell her! Tell her everything! See if I care!" Her father expressed, throwing his hands in the air as a sign of defeat.

"Oh, Izumi, we plan on it! Come, Mikan. Let's retire to the lounge. I'm sure that you and your friends are tired from your flight. We can catch up there and we'll tell you everything you need to know about that photo-shoot." Her mother proclaimed, stretching a hand towards her. She immediately went down the stairs followed by her uncle, who was sending triumphant smirks at her father, who glared in response but, she could see the enjoyment glinting in his eyes.

Holding her mother's hand, she beckoned her friends, who were watching the entire scenario before them with a smile of their own, with her unoccupied hand. The two girls swiftly went by her side and hand-in-hand the reunited family journeyed towards the lounge to re-acquaint themselves for the three years they spent apart.

* * *

 **A/N: Helloooo! There you have it! Mikan's here! I'm sorry if I took too long to update! I had a hard time deciding whether I should write about her friends' reaction about her return or write about Mikan's ride home to her family. I finally decided on the latter because I thought it would be more enjoyable and exciting to see their reactions when they all meet each other. Oh my gosh, my blood is boiling just thinking about it! Hahahahaha, I'm already writing the next chapter and boy, wew! Is it spicy~ I'll just shut up and work on it so that you guys can enjoy it too! Next update will come soon so, just sit back and tremble with me! Mwahahahaha! No, seriously, I'm laughing like an evil villain about to execute his or her malicious plan. My mom and sister are looking at me like I'm a loony. Maybe at this point, I am. It's a feat that they haven't shipped me to a loony bin considering I've been acting crazy since I came out of my mom's vag- Okay, sorry, womb. Let's not be vulgar! Anyway, I'll see you guys on my next update! Keep on rating and reviewing! I would soooooo love it if you tell me what's on your brilliant minds!**

 **Love, love, love,**

 **BlueLilyLilyBlue!**

 **P.S. If you think that Anna and Nonoko are kind of OOC, well, it's the effect of jetlag coupled with nerves (in Anna's case).**


	7. Chapter 7: Clash of Kings

The air was buzzing with electrifying excitement. Students milled around the grounds with their friends chatting about anything and everything but, conversations always revert back to the news that shook most of people. Whispers, hysterical giggles, and furtive glances were exchanged as students kept an eye out for the person they've all been looking forward to see once again. Attention was not lost to the seated group of friends at the Pavilion, who ignored most of the gossiping. Their schoolmates seemed to refuse to go near them as they were the only ones at the Grecian-inspired garden when normally people would try to go near them or eavesdrop on their conversation by sitting at the tables surrounding their proclaimed thrones.

It was a nice change but, it also irritated some of them. The breathy, girlish murmurs of the female populace were beyond frustrating and the secretive and ridiculous bets being made by the male students were equally maddening. They would rather have their schoolmates gush around them than watch them muttering and humming with their peers about the most obvious matter. The people's actions overwhelmed their indescribable feelings towards the news by a fraction and whether they should be glad about the distraction remains unseen because as of the moment, it only brought nothing but, pure, unadulterated displeasure to all of them.

"We shouldn't have come here. Look at them! They're like bees! They keep on buzzing around! They don't even know whether she'll be here or not! It's annoying!" Shouda Sumire, Alice Academy's Fashion Queen hissed, leaning towards the table to enunciate her point.

"It's been three days since she returned. There had been gossips that she had been at the Academy fixing her requirements but, nobody had seen her which brings me to question the credibility of the rumors and the intellectual capability of our fellow schoolmates. Aside from that matter, Shouda, why shouldn't we come here? This is our usual hangout place." The cool voice of Imai Hotaru, Resident Blackmailer and Alice Academy's Ice Princess, drawled out, giving the Green-eyed girl a look that simply said, " _Are you stupid_?"

"I _know_ that this is our usual spot, Imai." Sumire said, rolling her eyes at the Raven-haired beauty, "What I'm saying is, the Pavilion is the worst place as of the moment. Can't you see them?" She asked, disgust lacing of her words by the end of her statement.

"I can see them. What of it?"

"Really, Imai. You're supposed to be the number _one_ student in the entire school. I can't believe that you can be that dense." The Green-eyed girl replied, giving the girl a disbelieving stare.

"I can't even begin to fathom why you think of me dense when you know full well that I am the number one student in the entire Academy but, I guess that's the tragedy of less educated people. To ease your troubled mind, I simply choose to ignore them. Unlike you, I can't be bothered to think about humans who can only function when there are gossips going about." Hotaru answered, her tone bored as she mixed her coffee with a plastic stirrer.

"Yeah, babe! Hotaru's right! Just ignore them!" Kokoro Yome expressed jovially as he pulled his frowning girlfriend to his chest.

"I can't believe that you guys can be so…so…so cool about this!" She exploded, drawing away from her boyfriend and folded her arms on her chest.

"Cool? What's cool about _that_?" Andou Tsubasa inquired, nodding at the direction of Alice Academy's Sex God, Hyuuga Natsume.

The group instantly glanced at the handsome male, who had his eyes closed, concealing his unique pair of Crimson orbs, arms folded against his chest and feet propped up the table. He may seem to be the picture of indifference but, years of being friends with the dashing boy made it easy for them to detect his agitation through the set of his jaw, the slight pressure on his lips, and the stiffness of his muscles.

"Quit staring, fuckers." Natsume barked.

"Told you he has sixth sense." Koko whispered to Sumire, who gave him a look of exasperation at the ridiculousness of his words.

"And my sixth sense is telling me that if you don't shut up, I will turn you into a bloody pulp." The Ruby-eyed boy exclaimed.

Upon hearing his friend's threat, Koko squealed and jumped into Sumire's lap, clinging onto her like a Koala would with its eucalyptus tree.

"Get off of me!" She cried with a furious expression marring her face as she pushed her boyfriend away from her.

"But, he'll turn me into a pulp!" The spiky-haired blonde wailed loudly as he clung tighter at the girl, who was relentlessly pushing her away.

"I know! I'll probably join him, too!" Sumire growled.

At the feral glint in her eyes, Koko panicked, making his hold on the Green-eyed girl's neck loosen enabling Sumire to successful push her boyfriend off her lap. The boy dropped unceremoniously on the ground with a loud thud and he groaned and moaned because of the pain.

"I think I broke my back." Koko croaked, clutching at his lower spine as he stood up.

"Stop being dramatic or I'll break your all of your bones for real." She intimidated as she glared at him.

"Oh, that's kinky, babe! I never knew you swung that way but, I l-" The boy was unable to finish his fevered tirade when Sumire punched him in the gut, hard. Koko coughed at the strength and force of his girlfriend's fists. He dropped to his knees as he gripped on his abused torso.

"You…the…be-best…Sumi…re…Like a…boxi…ng cha…mpion…" He wheezed, giving her a pained smile and a shaky thumbs-up.

"Dude, she _is_ a boxing champion!" Tsubasa declared, chuckling hard that he needed to grab his aching stomach.

"I'll show you boxing champion, baldy!" Sumire roared as she lunged forward their table to grab the star-tattooed man by his collar. He swiftly avoided the girl by ducking out and standing away from his seat. He gave her a carefree shrug before his Blue eyes widened comically as the girl run towards him with an aura screaming of bloody murder. In his moment of fear, the older boy chose the most applicable option which is to run.

The two ran around the Pavilion like lunatics with Sumire occasionally chucking rocks at Tsubasa which he barely dodged. At moments of anger, the Green-eyed girl's aim was creepily accurate and he didn't want to experience an incident that involves hard rocks thrown by the Fashion Queen.

"Are we going to stop them?" Harada Misaki asked, speaking for the first time since she sat down with her friends. The Pink-haired girl looked at Hotaru with anxiety as she feared for the life of her boyfriend.

The said girl merely gave a flitting glance at the rambunctious duo before returning back to her coffee.

"They'll tire themselves out. No need to waste energy in order to discipline unruly idiots." The Ice Princess stated, monotonously.

True to form, the running twosome halted their game of chase as Sumire panted heavily, a thin layer of sweat dusting her once immaculate made-up face. She glared at Tsubasa, who was grinning cheekily at her in his spot at a tall tree.

"Get down from there, you douche!" She yelled, whipping out a finger to point at her unfair upperclassman.

"Yeah, maybe later! You might want to retouch your make-up! It's already melting on your face!" He shouted back. His statement which rang out of the area was met with manic howls of laughter. He guffawed at the speed and amount of blushing that stained Sumire's cheeks and neck. If he didn't know any better, he would think that even the girl's toes were red in embarrassment.

"You know, if I wasn't wearing a skirt, I can get up there and take you down with no problem!" The Fashion Queen exclaimed through gritted teeth.

"Well, I'm not getting any younger so, why do- Oh _shit_." Tsubasa mouthed, his jaw slack as he stared wide-eyed at something in the distance.

Noticing his sudden change of attitude, Sumire scrunched up her face in a frown and turned to her back to see whatever it is that shocked her riotous upperclassman. Her eyes widened like saucers as her Green orbs landed on a girl with lush, wavy, waist-long brunette hair wearing the standard-issued school uniform that consisted of crisp, White, button-up polo with a Black tie under a Black blazer with the Academy's insignia stitched at the breast pocket, a Beige, tartan, plaid skirt, White, knee-high socks, and a pair of heeled, Black, ankle boots with chains hanging at the side. Beside her, were two girls wearing the same uniform with the only difference being their choice of shoes and socks. The girl with Bubblegum-Pink hair chose to pair her uniform with ruffled, ankle socks and Copper Leather, Mary Jane Platform Pumps while the girl with Blue-Black hair opted to forgo wearing socks and used a strappy, Blue Suede, Mary Jane Pumps that made her slim, toned legs longer.

As they strutted down the Pavilion, heads turned, murmurs exploded, fingers pointed, whistles sounded, camera flashes clicked, cellphones were shaking and buzzing, and soon enough, the entire Academy was alerted that Yukihira Mikan was on the grounds. The Green-eyed girl, too, was alerted of her presence as she became more and more tense and tongue-tied as the girl and her two friends approached closer. She heard the sound of a chair hitting the soft grass and she didn't have to turn around to know that Natsume stood up with an expression of bewilderment covering his handsome features. The whole student populace that had gathered at the Pavilion fell silent as the female trio stopped just meters away from the Fashion Queen. Everybody was intently anticipating the surely dramatic reunion of the richest kids in school.

For a while, nobody spoke as the reunited friends appraised one another. They visibly held their breaths when the brunette bestowed them a bright and sweet smile that turned every male's knees weak.

"Hello, Sumire." Mikan greeted, her voice just as sweet and tender as she remembered it.

The Green-eyed girl gaped at her casual attitude. She couldn't understand how the girl could act as if she hadn't left without as much as a word. It upset her that the girl seemed to be unrepentant with her sudden disappearance and it was enough to fuel the anger that she had been suppressing since the brunette left.

"Why are you here?" Sumire demanded, her fury exploding to the surface.

"I came to begin my classes. I've been organizing my transfer requirements and I finally finished it yesterday. The Principal allowed me to start today. Is that bad?" The brunette queried, her sweet smile dimming for a moment before returning to its former glory.

"Yes, it is! You _abandoned_ us for three years, Mikan! Three years without any contact from you! Do you have any idea how we felt?! Do you have any idea how much we worried about you?! Jesus, do you know how much _Hotaru_ worked herself up just to find you?! Do you have any idea what you put us through?! Now, you have the gall to return here, smiling like there's nothing wrong! Well, guess what?! Your presence here is wrong because _you don't belong here_!" The Fashion Queen screamed, tears streaking down her face, ruining her immaculate eye make-up.

Her outburst was met with astounded silence, the only sound penetrating through the glade was the Green-eyed girl's heaving as she forced herself to regain her bearing and poise. She felt arms encircle her trembling body and the scent of spices and citrus invaded her olfactory nerves. She leaned unconsciously into the figure of her boyfriend, turning away from the brunette, who was looking at her with sadness in her eyes. She didn't want to see her face as she felt guilty for every word she spoke but, she needed to say it. She was sure that all of her friends felt the same and she wasn't the only one feeling lost and wondering what could possibly have driven their beloved brunette away from them.

"I…I'm sorry…for leaving…I know that it's horrible of me to just…disappear without saying anything but…I had to…" Mikan said, solemnly, her Honey-Brown eyes sweeping at the faces of her friends.

"If you knew that it was horrible of you to leave without saying anything, why didn't you tell us? I thought we're friends." Koko stated, his face serious and expressionless for the first time, startling the brunette girl as well as the student populace.

"Yes, you're my friends but…you won't understand…"

"Then, make us understand." The icy voice of Hotaru rang out, crisp and clear, at the Pavilion. Her chilling, amethyst eyes stared at her, traces of rage, loneliness, and inquisitiveness swimming at the glassy surface of her twin orbs.

For the first time since their friendship, she felt true fear towards the Raven-haired beauty. Since they were elementary, Hotaru had the uncanny ability to read through her emotions, actions, and words. She felt like telling her, them, her _friends_ , the whole truth but, even if she resolved to do it, she found herself unable to say the right words.

"I…I…can't…" She choked, feeling her throat constrict as her beating her squeeze at her chest. She blinked away her tears as she shook her head in disgust with her cowardice.

She heard the sounds of rustling and shuffling and her eyes snapped to Hotaru, who was walking away from the Pavilion with elegant strides.

"Hota-"

"Don't. You don't need to explain any further. You made it very clear that you don't want tell us. So, I will make it very clear to you, too. I can't be your best friend any longer." The Ice Princess declared, keeping her stiff back facing the brunette.

Her heart broke as she listened to the cool beauty speak those words and she heard it shatter as the girl walked away from her, going further and further beyond her reach. She heard sounds, whispers and murmurs, surrounding her but, it seemed far away compared to the receding footsteps of her best friend. She felt numb as Hotaru turned away, leaving her behind like she did to them. She knew it was only fair that they be mad at her and it was only logical that they leave her but, she never knew it would hurt this much. Still, she could bear with their absence and their hatred rather than drag them into her problems.

The bell chimed signaling for the start of morning classes but, not one soul moved an inch from their respective positions. It wasn't until the Academy Marshalls approached the Pavilion and started shoving students to their classrooms. Disgruntled sighs, soft whispers, and reluctant chatter exploded within the area as their audience one by one left the garden until it was only Mikan and her friends that remained. They stared at one another, awkward and lost. The silence that hung above them was like a turbulent storm with no intention of easing up. It wasn't until Tsubasa jumped down the tree he was peered in that the silence broke and all eyes turned to him, relieved for the distraction but, it was short-lived as he went forward the grounds to stand before Mikan with an unreadable gaze.

The brunette stood unnerved under the looming figure of her upperclassman. Back then, the star-tattooed man was her source of laughter and merriment. With him around, she was sure to have fun as not one moment can be dull and serious but now, it was anything but, somber. She tried to speak, to lighten the atmosphere but, her age-old cowardice took over her and made her tight-lipped.

"You're here. You're _here_ , Mikan." Tsubasa said, surging forward to engulf the girl in a bone-crushing embrace.

Normally, she would have squirmed in order to get free but, given the rejection of her two female friends, she welcomed any other form of acceptance with open arms. Her suppressed tears fell freely on her cheeks and she sobbed on Tsubasa's shoulder. The older boy merely embraced her tighter, drawing comforting circles to soothe her. Once she calmed down, the boy broke away from her and wiped away the tears streaming down her face.

"Don't cry anymore. It's okay. It'll be alright." He purred, caressing Mikan's cheek tenderly.

"Bu-But…Hota...ru…" She started but, promptly stopped when Tsubasa shook his head.

"You know her. She couldn't stand not knowing everything. She's upset, that's all."

"That's all the more reason to talk to her!" She cried, breaking free from Tsubasa's arms and started towards the main building.

"Let her be, Mikan. She'll just reject you more if you force her to talk to you."

The brunette stopped as she turned to her left and saw the Pink-haired, older girl she considered to be her elder sister. Misaki smiled at her and Mikan ran towards her, hooking her arms around the other girl as she embraced her.

"I missed you, too, kiddo." The older girl said as she wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She apologized profusely.

She knew that her apology wasn't enough as she was sure that they were dying to hear her explanation for her sudden departure but, as of the moment, it was only what her bravery could muster.

"It's okay. I know you. I'm sure that you have an explanation for everything you did and I know that it's difficult but, we'll wait. We'll wait for you to tell us when you're ready." Misaki comforted as she stroked the brunette's silky hair. They broke apart and the older girl gave her an understanding smile. Mikan reciprocated with a nod.

"Thank you. I'm sorry." She sniffed.

"Shh, it's alright. What matters is that you're back. Now that you're here, you'll be doing your best to win us back, right?" The Pink-haired girl proclaimed with a humorous wink, making the brunette chuckle.

"Well, we should be going. We're already late for homeroom. Surely, Professor Serina will go ballistic." Tsubasa exclaimed as he appeared beside Misaki and held her hand.

"You know that she'll be more than ballistic. She'll start reprimanding us about what's due expectations to us seniors." The Pink-haired girl expressed.

"Psh, don't mind what she says. You know that's all talk! Besides, I'm sure that when she's in high school, she broke rules. I heard through the grapevine that she used to skip classes whenever it's Jinno's class." Tsubasa responded, smirking at both girls. Mikan smiled indulgently, her previous tumulus feelings turning mellow at the sense of normalcy that her upperclassmen provided.

"Don't start with me, Tsubasa. It's our last year and I would want to finish this year without _any_ problems." Misaki enunciated each word accompanied by an intense glare which made her boyfriend deflate in defeat.

"Fine, fine. You win." He declared flatly, making the Pink-haired girl grin in delight.

"Great! Anyway, we should really get going now. Mikan, are you heading to your room? We can accompany you." The older girl offered as she held the brunette's hand.

"Oh, you guys go on ahead. The Principal wants to talk to me about some last minute reminders." She replied.

"That's Shiki for you. Oh well, let's see each other at lunch?" Tsubasa asked, his face expectant.

She felt herself getting tongue-tied once more as she looked at the older boy's keen expression. A part of her wants to decline but, another wants her to accept. She knew that it'll be more than uncomfortable at lunch where the whole gang would be gathered but, she wanted to know about the three years that she spent apart from them, that is if they'll indulge her. Nevertheless, it'll be another awkward affair with people prying into them. She had hoped that the Pavilion would be deserted but, it seems that the Academy accepted more students during the previous years. It was mortifying to have the whole student body witness her disastrous reunion with her friends earlier and she didn't want to have a repeat. Within the Academy grounds, there is no place that is private as there are eyes and ears everywhere.

"Don't bother, baldy. It looks to me that she doesn't even want to join us so, save your breath." Sumire drawled icily, her Green eyes focused at Mikan.

"Jesus, Sumire, stop being s-"

"She's right. I can't join you at lunch. I'm supposed to meet with my uncle at the conference room." She voice out, smiling apologetically at Tsubasa.

"Well, it can't be helped. Tomorrow then, okay, Mikan?" The older boy declared as he and Misaki began to walk away from her.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." She stated as she waved a hand at them. The couple waved back at her, smiles both present on their faces.

"Let's go, Koko. I don't want to stay here." Sumire proclaimed, tugging her boyfriend by hand as they passed her. The Green-eyed girl merely ignored her but, Koko glanced at her and shot her an impish grin that made Mikan smile lightly.

Her Honey-Brown eyes followed the retreating couple as Koko instinctively wrapped an arm around Sumire's waist and in return, the girl moved closer. She watched with a fond smile as she realized that most of her friends had gotten together after years and years of flirtation. No doubt, their relationships are bound to last as she could see the pure love in every gesture. She once had that kind of affection but, because of her selfish reasons, she threw it all away. Even though she wanted to regain that sort of passion, she couldn't as she wanted to leave that life behind her. She returned to patch up old seams and start a fresh life. She barely managed to reconcile with her friends and now, standing slightly to her right with a few meters separating them was him, the boy she wanted to forget.

She knew that he was here. How can she not when he was the first person she saw amidst the sea of people? The moment her eyes laid upon him, she felt all sorts of feelings surge through her, both old and new, realizing that after three years, he still have that effect on her. He looked more grown out with muscles shaping his figure, turning him into a man that she knew he would be. His eyes still held the same intensity it had the last time she saw him and she felt her body heating up under his gaze. He had yet to speak but, knowing him, his voice is surely to be as beautiful as his physical appearance. She wanted to get away from him, frightened about the consequence speaking to him alone might bring. She turned to her friends, purposely facing away from the boy, who was staring at her with so much intensity that it made her antsy. Her two friends noticed her discomfort as they peered at her face.

"Is something wrong?" Nonoko asked, worry etched on her charming face.

"No, I'm fine!" Mikan exclaimed with too much enthusiasm.

"Are you sure? You look…" Anna trailed off as her eyes wandered towards the boy watching them. She quickly flicked her eyes at her friend, understanding dawning on her adorable face.

"Let's just go. I'm pretty sure that the Principal is waiting for us. We don't want to seem rude for making him wait." The Blue-Black haired beauty announced, dragging her two friends by the wrist. Mikan shot Nonoko a grateful look to which the girl smiled.

She made the mistake of positioning herself at Nonoko's right as the moment they passed him, her hand brushed against his and as if a fire was lit, his hand found her wrist and pulled her away from her friend. She gasped in shock not only because of his action but, also because of the feel of his skin. It was electrifying, just as it had been three years ago with his heat melting into her. Her heart almost stopped and her breath stuck in her throat as she felt his solid body against hers and her mind flew to a different time where it was just the two of them with him gazing down at her as she traced the silky surface and hard lines of his body. More memories flashed behind her eyes as her nose was hit by his intoxicating scent, a seductive combination of vanilla, mint, and tonka bean. She became undone when she stared into his eyes, the Crimson darkening a shade down, the color similar to the time when he declared himself in love with her.

As if the memory disgusted her, she slapped his hand away from hers and took several steps back. Her sudden rejection baffled him but, he soon recovered himself as he advanced toward her. Her body shook as he approached and she almost tripped due to her trembling. Like a flash, he darted to her but, she pulled out a hand in front of him.

"Don't. Don't come near me." She whispered, her head turned to the side in order to avoid seeing his expression.

The wind whipped at them, rumpling their clothes and hair but, neither of them cared. There was a wind much more relentless and beating than the breeze their skin felt. No amount of comfort could ease the pain in their hearts as they continuously longed and miss each other. One found solace in the arms of others but, his heart will never belong to anyone but, her while the other ran far away, hiding the truth in her heart. Now that they have met again, he wanted nothing more but, to embrace her but, she wanted nothing more but, to leave his arms.

"Are you going to run again?" He asked, his voice deep, hypnotic, and pure man. She felt her knees buckle at the sound of him like it always did whenever she heard his voice. It was her weakness and it drove her insane that he was using it against her but, she needed to escape from him and everything about him.

"I'm not going to run. All I said is for you not to come near me." She breathed out, her voice shaky.

"I think I waited long enough, _Mikan_."

At the mention of her name, she knew that he had her caught in his hands. Her eyes automatically closed as his hands cupped her cheek and pressed his warm lips against hers. Tears spilled down her face as he kissed her with all the care he could muster as if she was made out of glass. As gentle as their kiss started, it became hungry and erratic as his lips nibbled on her lower lip, biting the soft flesh that sent delightful shocks of pleasure all throughout her body. She moaned as his tongue darted in, exploring her mouth and dancing with her own fleshy organ. She felt her heart soar as he kissed her deeper, loving the way his lips moved against her. Finally, a voice in her head screamed at her to stop and she regained consciousness of herself. Horror and dread dripped down her spine and she pulled away abruptly, her hands flying to her lips as she realized what she had done.

She heard him approach her, his hand poised to touch her but, her eyes were trained at her two friends, who were watching the whole scene on the sidelines sporting an astonished expression. Before any of them could react, she broke into a run, ignoring their calls. She ignored the stares being thrown her way. She had to get out of there before things get worse. She cursed herself for being unable to resist him. She couldn't believe that she did that in front of her friends. Surely, they have something to say to her and she could already tell that it wasn't going to be pretty. She thought that she could handle the trouble that her return would bring but, it was worse than she feared. Within just an hour, she lost her best friend while another simply didn't want her presence and she kissed the boy she should forget in front of her friends.

For sure, the heavens were having a field day at making her day miserable. It could only get worse by trapping her with the one person she didn't want to meet and what are the odds that she meets that person. There, at the end of the hallway, stood a silhouette of a person. She couldn't make out the person's features as the sun was striking down at her back but, given by the slim shape of the body and womanly curves, she guessed that the person was female. She was to ignore the girl but, the nearer she gets, the clearer the girl's features became and her legs halted, freezing on the spot as her eyes widened when she caught sight of the girl's Strawberry-Blonde hair. Her heart popped out of her chest when the girl looked at her with familiar cold, Blue eyes filled with mirth and sadistic contempt. Her lips curled into a beautiful smile as she saw the recognition dawn on her face.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. So, it's true that you're back. It's good to see you again, Mikan."

* * *

 **A/N: Hiiiiiii! OMG, there you have it! Mikan finally meets her friends at school! Wew, this is some long chapter. I had a fun time writing this because I had to explore each and everyone's reactions. It's like a rollercoaster ride to write this chapter because at one moment, I'm feeling deliriously happy because of the ridiculousness of the gang and then I would be sullenly sad because not everyone was happy that she's back. Anyway, enough about me and my crazy emotional state. Now, do tell me what you think about the chapter! I reaaaaaallllllllllyyyyyyyyy want to know what you guys think about everyone's reactions. Did I do a good job or not? Do tell me in the review section! On another note, I will not be updating for at least a month or two because a.) I have to pack my things because I'm moving to my Dad's house which is in LA, b.) I have to arrange my documents and papers, c.) I have to say a proper goodbye to my friends, and d.) I have to get settled in LA. I might be back earlier than what I said if everything goes as planned as until then, please, _please_ support XOXO, Ms. A by leaving me reviews or by following the story! Thanks to all those who comment on my story and I will do my best to deliver you guys a much more exciting story!**

 **Love, love, love,**

 **BlueLilyLilyBlue**


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